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Sometimes it takes nearly an entire season for a team to come into its own.
This seems to be the case with the Arlington girls tennis team. Matched up against perennially tough league rival Lourdes, the Admirals played perhaps their best match of the season in defeating the visiting Warriors 5-2 on Tuesday at Freedom Plains. The victory avenged an earlier loss to Lourdes and improved Arlington’s overall record to 3-4.
The match was played under less-than-ideal playing conditions, with temperatures dipping into the lower 50s.
“It was cold today and a little bit windy, which played havoc with the serves a little bit, but the girls were able to focus a fight through it very well,” said Arlington coach Gail Lynch.
According to Lynch, the team was thinking too much during its early season troubles and not letting the game come to them.
“I’ve seen a lot of late season improvement. The girls got out of their heads today and realized they had nothing left to lose,” said Lynch.
Arlington captain Carrie Sauer said the team was finally gelling.
“We really came together today,” she said.
The Arlington trend of perseverance was epitomized by the play of second singles player Katherine Lee. In her match against Katie Garrity, whom she had lost to earlier in the season, Lee had to fight her body.
Early in the first set, while coming in to hit an approach shot, Lee rolled over on her ankle and had to take a 10-minute injury timeout before continuing. Displaying dogged determination, as well as mental toughness, Lee went on to defeat Garrity by a score of 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 and win her final scholastic home match.
“For her to battle that was tough. She rolled her ankle early and it was sore, but she hung in there and played big for us. She was hurt, but she went out big,” said Lynch.
Even in defeat, Arlington players displayed poise and skill. At first singles, Admiral Emi Suzuki refused to lay down after she dropped the first set to Warrior Caitlin Sammis. Suzuki seemed to be bothered by the wind while serving, as did Sammis. There were multiple breaks of serve in the first set and throughout the match.
Sammis put a tremendous amount of topspin on her ground strokes, which seemed to throw off Suzuki, at least early on in the match. Falling behind by a break in the first set, Suzuki rallied to even up the set at 3-3 and 4-4.
Although Suzuki began to find some consistency on her ground strokes as the first set wore on, Sammis was able to serve more effectively and took the set by 6-4. In the second set, Suzuki was down by a 4-2 score when her game really came together.
Hitting cross-court winners with her forehand and putting in a higher percentage of her first serves, Suzuki roared back to take the final four games and even up the match at one set apiece.
In the third set, with darkness fast approaching and the score tied at 3-3, Sammis took control with her serve and despite some long rallies took the match with a 6-4 third set. Sammis said Suzuki was a handful for her.
“I’ve played her before and she’s a really good player. The conditions today were difficult for both of us. I double-faulted a lot more than I usually do,” said Sammis.
Arlington was aided in its victory by taking all four doubles matches. Maria Melfe and Beth Camatos held off the Warriors’ Chirstina Pei and Chloe Cassie by a score of 6-1, 6-4 at first doubles. The other Lourdes victory came at third singles, where Kaitlyn Shortell defeated Kaylyn Bocia by a 6-1, 6-2 verdict. At second doubles, Arlington’s Minhee Bae and Shari Kram defeated Lourdes’ Alyssa Kimitis and Sara Fonzs by 6-2, 6-3 and at third doubles the Admirals’ Chynna Foucek and Carrie Sauer rallied to beat Lauren Hubler and Christina Capo, 4-6, 6-3, and 6-3.
Arlington improved its record to 3-4, while Lourdes fell to 3-3.
