The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School girls tennis team defeated number two seed Ursuline Academy of Dedham, 5-0, at Old Rochester Regional in Mattapoisett Friday to win the MIAA Division 3 South Sectional title for the second year in a row.
Martha’s Vineyard advances to the state semi-final Monday and will face 2014 state champs Lynnfield High School. The game begins at 3:30 pm at Newton North High School. The game is something of a rematch — The Vineyard beat Lynnfield last year to advance to the state finals and clinch the crown.
The defending state champs have won 41 straight games and are 19-0 thus far this season.
“Oh, it was really good tennis,” Coach Nina Bramhall told The Times after the huge win. “It was the best all-around team we have faced, on all courts.”
“It was a good team,” assistant coach Liz Roberts, the mother of Kat Roberts, told The Times. “It’s always exciting when it’s a good team and you know you have a challenge, but it’s more of a relief when you come off with the win. They were a solid team; it was nice for our girls to have that challenge, and they were a really nice team too.”
The next stop is the state semifinals on Monday. If the Vineyarders are victorious they would play Wednesday at Saint John’s High School in Shrewsbury on June 15 for the 2016 state championship.
Tough competition
On a picture perfect Friday the MVRHS girls varsity tennis team proved their dominance once again.
Kat Roberts at first singles was the first finisher and she wiped up the court neatly and quickly with a 6-0, 6-1 win.
“It was good, she’s definitely one of the best players I’ve played before,” Kat told The Times after her win. “We had a lot of good points, but I think I just got one more ball back which made her make the mistake first and I just played more consistently.”
Camilla Prata at third singles was off the court soon after Kat, and also won her match 6-2, 6-1.
“She had a really strong forehand, so I tried not to hit it to her forehand and only hit it to her backhand,” Camilla told The Times.
Kelly Klaren at second singles pulled out the final singles win 6-1, 6-3.
“She had a really good game, really consistent and she moved me around. She’s a very smart player, but I just figured out a way to pull it through,” Kelly said about her fellow freshman opponent Alessia Cahoon.
With the Vineyarders winning all three singles courts, they had already technically claimed the Division 3 south finals, but the doubles courts continued to play. Both doubles teams won, with second doubles winning in a tiebreaker after splitting sets.
A 10-point tiebreaker was played instead of a third set to finish the match more quickly, as the team win was already determined.
Second doubles team Amadine Muniz and Nuun Eksiri were very happy seniors after their 7-5, 2-6, 10-2 victory, with Nuun Eksiri even getting teary after the trophy presentation and then being surrounded by her teammates.
Lizzie Williamson and Victoria Scott at first doubles also earned a victory 6-1, 6-2 against senior Ari Lambros and freshman Megan Etienne.
It was “the best doubles team” Lizzie and Victoria have faced this season, Chris Scott, Victoria’s father, told The times during the match. The doubles sensation Lizzie and Victoria agreed with Mr. Scott’s assessment.
“Oh my Gosh, that was the best team we played all season,” Lizzie said after her win. “Their technique was beautiful and their forehands were great, they were great players.”
“I thought they were the best team we’ve played so far,” Victoria Scott said. “They were hard hitters, which I love to play, they were just bashing the ball at us but after the first game [which Lizzie and Victoria lost] we got back on our feet and then we started to understand their play more and get adjusted and got into it.”
In addition to team play, doubles team Lizzie Williamson and Victoria Scott also play in the state semifinals for the individual team tournament and, if they win, the state finals in Shrewsbury on Saturday, June 18. Both the semis and the finals would be played in the same day.
“That’s why you’ve got to be fit,” said Mr. Scott.