The last passengers disembarking from the 6:15 p.m. Island Home ferry on Wednesday had no reason to rush. Instead, the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School girls varsity tennis team cherished every step off the vessel.
Seniors Amadine Muniz and Chanaporn Eksiri hoisted the MIAA state championship trophy high in the air as hundreds of fans welcomed the team to the Vineyard Haven terminal. It felt like deja vu for the two seniors. The crowd erupted. The fire department arrived. The wooden trophy weighed the same.
Another year. Another perfect season. Another state championship. Game. Set. Match.
The MVRHS girls tennis team left Oak Bluffs Wednesday morning chasing their second-consecutive undefeated season. The team returned with a Division III state championship after beating Hopedale 5-0 at Saint John’s High School in Shrewsbury.
With a perfect 21-0 record, the Vineyarders extended their two-year undefeated record to 43-0.
Hours before their championship rematch against last year’s state finalist Hopedale, the Vineyarders fed off each other’s confidence on a clear, bright blue morning. Laughter, card games and AP test score gossip kept spirits afloat on the ferry ride to the championship match.
Arriving in Shrewsbury after a long bus ride, the team carried their relaxed demeanor onto the court. Players looked cool and poised despite warming up in 80-degree weather. After a quick lecture from the MIAA on sportsmanship, each player took a sip of water and walked to their respective courts ready to do battle.
Hopedale sought redemption after their 1-4 loss to MVRHS in last year’s state championship game. But watching the Vineyard team walk out onto the same Shrewsbury courts as last year, one couldn’t ignore the feeling of history repeating itself. Despite upsetting undefeated Grafton to win the central sectional championship, Hopedale never stood a chance. The Vineyarders dominated from the first serve.
Sectional champion doubles duo Lizzie Williamson and Victoria Scott recorded the Vineyarders’ first victory of the afternoon after winning their sets 6-0, 6-0. Junior Camilla Prata secured the first Vineyarder singles victory shortly after. The state semi-finals hero won her two sets 6-1, 6-0 by maintaining a patient approach against her Hopedale opponent.
The Vineyarders clinched the state championship when sophomore Kat Roberts won her singles match 6-1, 6-1.
“I was going to play consistent,” Roberts said of her strategy. “But then I saw that she was really consistent, she got a lot back, so I started to mix it up, do some drop shots in front of the net and play aggressively which definitely helped to put away the point.”
Muniz and Eksiri played their last match as Vineyarders. The senior duo left all they had out on the court and won both their sets 6-1 6-2 in convincing fashion.
“It’s a great note to end on,” said Muniz. “I’m not going to be playing tennis in college so I’m really excited that this happened.”
Despite leading Hopedale 4-0, the Vineyarders delayed their celebration until freshman Kelly Klaren finished her second singles set. Klaren won her first set 6-0 but met a challenge in the second set’s opening games. Head coach Nina Bramhall offered the freshman advice.
“She’s got a really good game and she was getting a little nervous and overplaying,” explained the head coach.
A calmed down Klaren returned to win the set 6-2. The team met her at the black-wired gates, embracing one another for their 5-0 triumph.
In the midst of the celebration, athletic director Mark McCarthy quietly soaked in the moment. He knew how hard the team worked to reach this pinnacle, and he praised Vineyard Youth Tennis for the team’s success. Vineyard Youth Tennis operates year-round since its inception in 1997, offering free tennis lessons and court time for all for Island residents, thanks to the generosity of Gerry DeBlois.
Mr. McCarthy is a former tennis player himself, and he understands the importance of a talent-feeder program for his high school coaches.
“They’re still playing outside even when the season’s over,” he said.
Executive director of Vineyard Youth Tennis, Scott Smith, proudly watched the products of his program perform on their biggest stage.
“We’ve had most of these kids, if not all of them, since they were six, seven, eight years old,” he said. “They practice and they have good habits and they’re dedicated, so we can’t take all the credit.”
Vineyard Youth Tennis requires its advanced players to participate in at least three off-Island tournaments every four months. The program’s tournament play teaches invaluable mental toughness, Mr. Smith said.
Thanks to the youth program, the future of the MVRHS girl’s tennis program looks bright. Coach Bramhall will only lose two players this year to graduation. The rest of the young squad is made up of one junior, two sophomores and two freshmen.
What’s next for a team with nowhere higher to go? A school’s overall population determines the athletic team’s division, not the success of the program, so there’s no chance of bumping up to Division I or II. But Coach Bramhall does wants to challenge her team with a more diverse schedule in 2016.
But for now tomorrow can wait as next season is eight months away. All that’s left to do is celebrate today’s champions.
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