The Vineyard girls tennis team continued a stellar season with a win over Bishop Feehan Friday in the last home game of the regular season.
The win brought the team’s record to 12-0, on track to defend last year’s state championship and undefeated season.
Under a cloudless sky on Friday the Vineyard won all five matches in two sets. Some didn’t give up a single game.
Long after the team secured an overall win, first singles freshman Kelly Klaren was still battling it out against Feehan junior Ali Sollecito. It was a well-matched contest, but Klaren came out on top 6-0, 6-2 thanks to a strong forehand and consistent serves.
But Sollecito made her work for the win, Klaren said.
“She was moving me around a lot. She was really smart with her points,” Klaren said, adding that she likes playing against smart players because it strengthens her own game.
Klaren will compete in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association individual quarterfinals this weekend, where she is seeded seventh.
Sophomore Kat Roberts won 6-0, 6-0 at second singles against senior Emma Cabral.
First doubles team Victoria Scott and Lizzie Williamson claimed victory 6-0, 6-0 in their match.
Scott said the match went well overall. “We started to get sloppy with our shots, but we knew to communicate to fix it up,” she said.
Going into the match Williamson, a sophomore, said the duo was focused on sharpening their returns.
“In one game in our last match both of us just missed every shot,” she said. “We were like, let’s not do that again.”
The pair are also playing this weekend in the MIAA individual quarter finals. They are seeded first.
“Going into a match I always expect a challenge,” Scott, a freshman, said. “Once you get in the match, it’s about having fun and doing your best.”
Junior Camilla Prata secured the overall win for the Vineyard with a 6-1, 6-1 victory at third singles. Camilla’s technique for the match was to play away from opponent Madison Butkus’s strengths.
“I tried not to hit to her forehand,” she said.
Senior co-captains Amadine Muniz and Nuun Eksiri finished their second doubles match with a 6-1, 6-2 score. It was an especially exciting win, they said, because it was senior day at the high school.
“This is the fifth match we’ve played together,” said Muniz. “We’re friends outside of tennis, so we have good communication skills.”
Coach Nina Bramhall said the match went terrifically, especially coming against a strong team like Bishop Feehan.
“They had some quality players, but we were just that much better,” she said.
There are four matches left in the regular season, all off-Island next week.
“If we continue to win, we’ll probably get top seeding [in the state tournament] and get to host the games here,” the coach said.
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