The MVRHS girls’ varsity tennis team was presented a MIAA state final four trophy and banner. —Nicholas Vukota 
Leah Thomson retreats and hooks the ball backward to keep a volly alive. —Nicholas Vukota 
Head Coach Bill Rigali introduces the MVRHS girls’ tennis team. —Nicholas Vukota 
Zoe Treitman returns a volly against Wilmington High School. —Nicholas Vukota 
Josie Smith battles through a long match, with MVRHS students in her corner. —Nicholas Vukota 
The MVRHS girls’ varsity tennis team hoist their final four trophy after defeating Wilmington in the state quarterfinals. —Nicholas Vukota 
Josey Johns, focused as she returns a volly. —Nicholas Vukota 
Leah Thomson returns the ball for MVRHS in state quarterfinals. —Nicholas Vukota 
The MVRHS girls’ varsity tennis team was presented a MIAA state final four trophy and banner. —Nicholas Vukota
The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) varsity girls’ tennis team continues their playoff run after a nailbiter against Wilmington High School on Friday in the MIAA state quarterfinals.
The Vineyard girls’ first singles player, junior captain Laina Dubin, who is an anchor for the team, lost quickly to Wilmington’s Savannah Beatrice in just two sets, 6-0, 6-1, which put some pressure on the girls early into the games.
Luckily for the Vineyarders, first doubles players Leah Thomson and Zoe Treitman took clean 6-2, 6-4 wins, followed by second doubles players Tessa Schulz and Bella Schilling, who won 6-3, 6-2 and gave the Vineyarders a 2-1 edge early in the match.
It was up to second and third singles players, Charlotte Marshard and Josie Johns, to win their matches and advance the Vineyarders to the semifinals.
Marshard finished next with a 7-5, 6-0 win over Wilmington’s Alison D’Arco. Finally, Johns battled with Wilmington’s Jaslene Ryou through a long second set before taking the win 6-3, 6-3 to earn the Vineyarders a 4-1 win and a spot in the MIAA Final Four in Division 3.
The girls were presented a Final Four trophy and banner by MVRHS Athletic Director Mark McCarthy after the match. They are scheduled to take on the Weston High School Wildcats at Falmouth High School at 3:30 pm on Tuesday, June 9.
“I’m so happy for the girls,” Head Coach Bill Rigali said after the win. “They put in so much work this season. They are being rewarded with a chance at the Final Four and so much support from our tennis community and our school. It takes everyone.”
Rigali highlighted that Marshard was battling a migraine during the match in 80-degree weather on Friday.
“She didn’t know if she could go today. What a performance,” Rigali said. “It took a lot of courage and … she’s really growing, and she carried us through this time.”
This was the Vineyarders’ first time playing Wilmington High School, and Rigali said they were a fun team to compete against.
“This [Wilmington] is a very good team. They made us work for every point, so it was a good one,” said Rigali.