Conditions were much different last time the Vineyard girls’ varsity tennis team defeated Barnstable. Back in March, at the opening match between the two teams, it was cold and there was still snow on the ground, remnants of a seemingly interminable winter. Competing in pants and long sleeves, the Vineyard girls edged out a 3-2 victory over Barnstable, a strong division one team.
“Today is a much better day to play tennis than it was back in March,” said Barnstable coach Lou Giglio at Thursday afternoon’s match under sunny skies with the temperature hovering at 75 degrees.
The Vineyard held its ground in the second meet, earning another 3-2 victory by winning all three singles matches and losing at doubles, an identical result to the first matchup. Senior Samantha Potter clinched the victory at the number one singles position, defeating her opponent Katie Tynan in straight sets. Kat Roberts and Lizzie Williamson also won handily at numbers two and three in singles.
“The matches were hard and well contested with long points, but the scores were decisive,” said Vineyard head coach Nina Bramhall. She also acknowledged the strength and ability of Barnstable’s two doubles teams. “They’re very good players and they played very well. Our doubles girls had their hands full,” she said.
It was a particularly happy ending for Potter, a graduating senior who has played number one for the Vineyard since her freshman year but has never defeated Barnstable. “They’re the best team we play and are so much fun to play against. We’ve always lost to them in the past but this year we did it and it means so much to me,” she said.
Ned Fennessy, the former boys’ tennis coach, after whom the courts are named, was in the stands. Also there cheering on the Vineyarders were principal Gil Traverso and assistant principal Elliott Bennett.
The Vineyard girls are approaching the rest of the season with a cautiously optimistic attitude. The team will enter into its Saturday match at home against Nauset with a perfect 9-0 record, after which the Vineyard will have seven matches left to play. Josie Iadicicco, who with Charlotte Potter plays doubles at the number one spot, and who will be attending NYU in the fall, has high hopes for closing out the season with stellar record. “Our senior base is going to be sad to leave but we are going to go out big,” she said of the rest of the season.
“We’ve crossed the halfway point in our season and Barnstable are our toughest competition. We are guardedly optimistic that we will come out of the season with a perfect record,” said Coach Bramhall. “It is a happy moment for the Vineyard girls tennis team,” she said of Thursday’s win.
The girls’ tennis team plays Nauset at home on Saturday at 11 a.m.
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