After a long, persistent fight, girls’ tennis fell 2-3 to Milton, Monday, April 28 at home.The Tigers faced the narrow loss with pride, standing tall in recognition of their growth as players, according to English teacher Kate Mannelly, the head coach.
Although the Tigers could not beat the hard-hitting technique and the wall-like defensive nature of Milton, they demonstrated confidence and poise through their ability to strategize and adapt.
North entered the match missing senior Bea Fernandez-Medina, a captain along with seniors Finley Crane, Kathryn Fine, and Julia Kammer, giving sophomore Adi Sinay a chance to step up and participate in her first varsity doubles match at second doubles with Crane.
“It was really great to see people slide into roles they haven’t tried yet,” said Mannelly.
Crane, Sinay, and their opponents were the last match on the court. At this point during the match, the Tigers had lost three matchups and won one, making Crane and Sinay’s battle the deciding factor of North’s power ranking. After a grueling first two sets, they won a tiebreak 10-6 in place of a third set.
According to Sinay, she played with greater aggression at the net than ever before. “Because it was my first varsity match, it made me want to play harder,” said Sinay.
According to junior Karina Chung, each match or set holds many smaller wins and losses, and it is important to not get caught up in the details.
“Hit your shots, play your game,” said Chung, repeating her mantra during her matches. According to Chung, it reminds her that she can only control herself and not her opponent.
Fine and Kammer claimed an unfortunate victory at first doubles after one of their opponents slipped and sprained her ankle, resulting in a forfeit on behalf of the Milton team.
Despite their perseverance and skill, Chung and juniors Roxy Feldman and Cindy Qiao lost their matches to the Milton girls- Chung with a score of 0-6, 6-1 and Feldman with a scores of 1-6, 2-6.
“It’s a good learning experience,” said Feldman. “I did not give up at any point and played my hardest.”
Qiao’s match was a back and forth battle, with a score that kept tipping undecidedly, but eventually Qiao lost her sets 4-6 and 5-7.
The Tigers claimed a 6-0 victory over Walpole, Wednesday, April 30, away, and fell to Andover 1-4, Friday, May 1. They will travel to Framingham, Monday, May 5 to face the Flyers.
