Athletics

Game Summaries

Tennis Season 2008

EWS 8–AAG 1

The sun was shining, the humidity was heavy, and the Emma Willard tennis team was ready to start the season with a victory. Albany Academy arrived donning new, sharp looking uniforms.  If that gave the Emma team pause, it lasted only until the balls began flying.

All of the players won in straight sets except for Jenn and Shibani. Playing one spot up from last year, Jenn faced off against Shibani’s sister in the #3 spot. They played tight points and long rallies from the start. Jenn mixed it up well in the first set, chasing down balls that many others would let go. After winning the first set, 6-4, she lost her edge in the second set, dropping it 2-6. In the third set, Jenn regained her rhythm and ended the match with an exclamation point: 6-1. Jenn’s gutsy playing and endurance earned her the Hoppy award.

Shibani woke up this morning knowing she would have one of her toughest matches of the season today. AAG’s #1 lived up to her reputation of being a hard hitter, capable of hitting winners and forcing errors against even formidable opponents. The final score, 6-1, 6-1, belied Shibani’s tough defense.

Callie, playing #6 singles, and Chandana, playing #5 singles, demonstrated their mettle on the court today. Early into their matches, they began moving their opponents around the court and dictating the points. They won 6-1, 6-3 and 6-2, 6-0, respectively.

Molly contended with a senior at #2 singles. Though she was a bit nervous at the start, she hustled after every ball, at one point landing on her back as she lunged for a shot. Molly’s ability to keep the ball in play wore down her opponent very effectively: 6-2, 6-1.

Annie kept her cool, facing off against a formidable opponent at the #4 spot. Though Annie dropped the first set, 5-7, her opponent’s sore shoulder prevented her from playing on, and Annie won by default.

Reeya and Anna reunited at #1 doubles, and they began the season with a bang, winning 6-0, 6-0. Though Reeya and Anna hit a number of strong service returns and volleys, their opponents’ lack of consistency accelerated their decline.

Playing at #2 doubles, Robin and Eloise had some difficulty focusing in the beginning but won the first set 6-3. In the second set, they pulled themselves together and finished the match decisively: 6-1.

Charis and Emma were the last ones on the court, and their victory put the icing on the cake. Initially tentative at net, they became progressively more aggressive, and the second set score reflected that: 6-4, 6-1.

EW 8–Holy Names 1

It was only the second match of the season, and already a few patterns emerged: the Emma Willard tennis team once again won handily, and the opponent one again donned new uniforms. Suffice it to say that the EWS tennis team will be wary of the first opponent it faces with old uniforms.

EWS tennis’s performance was all the more impressive in light of the lousy match conditions. In addition to a stiff cross-breeze, the players contended with background noise from grunting CBA football players and drumming band members.

Here was the score breakdown:

#1 Singles: Das (EWS) d. Rosati 6-2, 7-5
#2 Singles: Goodman (EWS) d. Parrotta 6-2, 6-0
#3 Singles: DeVito (EWS) d. Bennett 6-3, 6-2
#4 Singles: Hargrave (EWS) d. Ryan 7-5, 6-3
#5 Singles: Hemanthkumar (EWS) d. Astemborski 6-3, 6-0
#6 Singles: Winkeller (EWS) d. Zarcone 6-3, 6-1

#1 Doubles: Jeong/Boolchandani (EWS) d. Hazelton/Capazzola 6-3, 6-4
#2 Doubels: O’Connor/Levy (EWS) d. Haldarj/Berstein 6-4, 6-1
#3 Doubles: Farovanti/Scheneider (HN) d. Kilbourne/Purevdorj 3-6, 6-4, (7-5)

Noteworthy matches included Shibani’s. Down 4-5 in the second set, she claimed the match by fighting for three games in a row.

Molly continued to sacrifice her body, lunging for hard-to-reach shots. (We may have to invest in knee and elbow pads for her!) She never gave her opponent a chance to get into the match.

Annie struggled with her opponent’s style of play, but eventually she learned that if she chipped the shot short, her opponent would run through the ball and hit it out.

Callie took a little while to warm up, but played a good match. In fact, in a post-match interview, she said, “I am amazing.” We concur.

The wind compromised Reeya’s and Anna’s consistency, but they still played a number of good points with classic doubles strategy. Anna’s volleys and Reeya’s returns of serve proved too much for their opponents.

Though Tergel and Colleen ultimately lost their match, dropping the tiebreaker in lieu of the third set, they played aggressively. In particular, Tergel had a number of strong service returns, and she showed increased comfort at net, putting away a number of well placed volleys. Her impressive show on the court earned her the Hoppy award!

EW 8–Holy Names 1

The Emma Willard team didn’t need any new uniforms* to make a big SPLASH! Letting their rackets do the talking, the team played their best match of the season to date, taking down Holy Names 8-1.

Courts 5 through 8 all came out with high intensity and fight. Anna and Reeya, at #1 doubles and Eloise and Robin at #2 looked sharp. Reeya’s return was on fire as was Anna’s net game. More than frequent visits to the net, nonetheless together, reminded us of another famous doubles team, the Bryan Brothers!

Eloise and Robin looked focused with Eloise applying a lot of pressure at the net. Robin, with her good communication skills from the backcourt, kept a lot of balls in play. Switching to the two back formation at various times, seemed to work well for this particular match.

Courts 5 and 6 were on fire, with hard playing singles players Chandana and Callie. Chandana faced a solid opponent but was not fazed in the least. She moved the ball around beautifully, out steadying, and just overall, outplaying her opposition. Callie stayed true to her word and was truly “Amazing.” With no tentative play whatsoever, she struck the ball with her solid groundstokes. Her opponent could not handle Callie’s penetrating shots and was pinned back for most of the match. Callie was awarded the Hoppy award for her intense play and excellent effort.

Courts 1–4 came out swinging. Annie, had another showdown with an opponent that would just not go away. Playing with a huge amount of patience, Annie moved her opponent around, played within herself, and out steadied a very steady playing. No small feat! Jenn on the next court faced a similar challenge. Facing an opponent who would not give her any rhythm, Jenn had a tough time finding her own. Jenn started to climb back into the match at the early part of the second set but ran out of time. Molly showed her fight-for-every-ball attitude, hitting solid groundies and outplaying her opposition with ease. Shibani, looked in control on court 1, clearly set in her mind to defeat this rematch in a concise and tidy manner. She mixed up her play nicely, venturing to the net at times and mixing in different paced groundstokes from the baseline.

Charis and Emma walked out with confidence and never looked back. Emma’s net play was sensational. Her presence at the net was undeniable. Charis made her presence known as well, following the “yellow brick road” and putting away plenty of winners.

The team heads back to the practice courts the rest of the week, getting ready for a showdown next Tuesday with Guilderland. Stay tuned.

*Hopefully our new uniforms will arrive soon. We want to look as sharp as everyone else out there.

Shibani 6-2, 6-3
Molly 6-1, 6-2
Jenn 1-6, 4-6
Annie 6-3, 6-4
Chandana 6-1, 6-1
Callie 6-0, 6-0
Anna/Reeya 6-1, 6-2
Robin/Eloise 6-3, 6-1
Charis/Emma 6-1, 6-1

EW 2–Guilderland 7

Emma faced top dog Guilderland in its first solid test of the season. Ultimately losing the match 2-7, there were many bright spots and lessons learned.

Across the Guilderland parking lot on the second grouping of courts, Chandana maintained her dominance at the #5 spot. When she dropped the first set, some suspected that she would hand over the second set and the match, but Chandana had a different plan in mind. She fought for every point, chasing down drop shots and moving like windshield wipers from one side of the court to the other. In the end Chandana wore down her opponent, and her aggressive play earned her crucial points in the third set, earning her the match, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Playing at #6 singles, Callie found herself facing off against an unusual opponent: someone who could hit the ball and hit it with pace. They spent most of the match trading forceful forehands and blistering backhand strokes. Though Callie and her opponent each had their share of unforced errors, they also produced a number of impressive baseline winners. Ultimately, Callie had difficulty sustaining the high-energy rallies and dropped the third set. 4-6, 6-4, 3-6

Facing their toughest opponent to date, Anna and Reeya elevated their level of play. Each point was a showcase of good doubles strategy: Reeya exhibited her strong cross court return of serve, and Anna showed of her touch shots at net. However, their opponents had a few tricks of their own, and the two teams found themselves tied at 5 in the third set, before Anna and Reeya succumbed. 3-6, 6-1, 5-7

Eloise and Robin began their match, playing more timidly than usual. The brief hesitation that preceded their strokes and volleys was enough to undermine their consistency, and they dropped the first set. However, they shook it off, and stepped to the baseline with a vengeance in the second and third sets. Eloise attacked the net nicely, and Robin demonstrated that she was the “queen of the lob” as they took the match. 4-6, 6-4, 6-3

On the other side of the lot, 1–4 singles and #3 doubles all took hard hits during their first sets; however, it was during their second sets that everyone started playing to their potential.

Shibani traded high-level baseline rallies with her opponent the first set. Her opponent’s penetrating groundstokes and good placement put Shibani on the defense. Shibani, always the fighter, adjusted. Adding in some variety to her shots (a few slices here a few arch balls there) she took the second set to a tiebreaker, ultimately succumbing 2-6, 6-7.

Molly’s match played out similarly. After a blow out first set, Molly adjusted incredibly well. Adding in variety to her shots, she took her opposition out of her grove and forced some errors. Molly’s arch balls to her opponents slice backhand were particularly effective. Molly’s willingness to adjust and play with patience paid dividends as she stretched her opponent to 0-6, 7-6.

Jenn played a deceptively solid opponent. Jenn’s slow start and her opponent’s well placed angled shots kept Jenn at bay for most of the first set. Playing a little more defensively than normal due to her opponent’s level, Jenn had a hard time using her weapons to do her opponent much damage. Jenn’s second set looked much brighter as she was able to move her opponent somewhat and force some errors. 1-6, 3-6

Annie faced a hard hitter, and on that day a consistent hard hitter, too. Annie found her self off balance for a lot of shots, trying to dig out many a low flying ball. True to form, Annie fought hard, but she could not play her own game. Finding it hard to make any adjustments, she fell 2-6, 3-6.

Charis and Emma looked out of sorts for most of their match. Trading baseline rallies in the one up, one back formation led to their quick demise as the opposition simply out steadied them. In the few points where Charis and Emma took advantage of their strength at the net, they looked like the doubles team they are capable of becoming. 2-6, 2-6

The team heads back to the practice courts today. With the hardest test of the season behind them, the future looks bright. With a few adjustments here and there, the few tight matches that went the other way can easily be turned into victories for the team in the future.

EW 7–Colonie 2

With gray skies all around, the team still looked sharp playing their first match in their new uniforms (finally). Two teammates were out sick but the team stepped up and played some solid tennis defeating Colonie, 7-2.

On show court #1, Molly played with great intensity, taking out Colonie’s #1, 7-5, 6-2. The first set started with solid baseline rallies from both sides; as the match got tighter and tighter so did Molly and her opponent. Well-executed drives turned into conservative pushes with neither player taking control of the point. With the first set in the bag, Molly turned it around beautifully in the second, raised her level once again, and steamrolled her opponent the second set.

On court #2, Jenn regained her form after a couple of recent disappointing loses and played incredibly well. She moved the ball around the court beautifully and ventured to the net multiple times. There were many high level rallies on court #2. Jenn’s court movement and inside out forehand were exceptional today. Although she fell 4-6, 1-6, it was what you would say, “a good loss.”

Annie took everything in stride on court #3. Highly focused, Annie played her best game, stroking her groundstrokes very well and playing more consistently than her opposition. True to form, Annie hustled down every ball and came out on top, 6-2, 6-4.

Chandana played a whirlwind match at #4. Her opposition did not know what hit her. Looking as focused as ever, Chandana walked off the court in record time with a double bagel, 6-0, 6-0.

In her varsity debut, Kacey demonstrated her patience and determination as she rallied for over 2-1/2 hours at #5 singles. Facing another steady opponent, Kacey and her opponent had rally after rally of over 20 balls each. It was a true test of will. Kacey fought to the end but ultimately dropped the match 6-2, 3-6, 6-7 (7-4). Kacey was awarded the Hoppy award for the day for her grit and strength of mind.

Showing her ability to play both singles and doubles, Colleen, stepped into #6 singles with ease. Breezing through the first set, Colleen hit her groundstrokes with nice depth keeping her opponent off balance and on the run. Things turned in the second set, with Colleen becoming a little tentative and hitting more unforced errors than before. Determined to turn things around, she did just that, claiming the third set and the match, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.

Reeya and Anna blew through their first set 6-0. Their opponents moved to the two back formation in the second set, putting Anna and Reeya in a new situation. Anna and Reeya soon found themselves down 0-4. Not wanting the take the match into a third set, Anna and Reeya worked it out, adjusted and won 6 games in a row to take the match 6-0, 6-4.

For Eloise and Robin it was another brief day in the office. They took control of the match from the beginning, playing how they play best with Eloise pressuring the net and Robin hustling and tossing up lobs here and there. The highlight of the match was match point. Robin charged the net and executed an incredible low forehand volley to the open court. A classic!

Charis and Emma looked high energy today, as they took the court. They walked and played with confidence. Charis’s first serve was on today. She even threw in an ace. Emma moved extremely well at the net. Taking control of the middle of the court, both Charis and Emma executed some excellent net points. They breezed through their match 6-3, 6-0.

EW 9–Ichabod Crane 0

The weather changed its mind and cooperated, the coaches drove to the courts without getting lost, and players arrived with plenty of junk food to eat: in short, all the pieces were in place for a good tennis match. And a good match it was! Here’s what the local newspapers displayed the next morning:

#1 Singles: Das (EWS) d. Qua 6-2, 6-0
#2 Singles: DeVito (EWS) d. Patzwahl 6-3, 6-1
#3 Singles: Hargrave (EWS) d. Das 6-3, 6-2
#4 Singles: Hemanthkumar (EWS) d. Murphy 6-4, 6-1
#5 Singles: Winkeller (EWS) d. Alarcon 6-1, 6-0
#6 Singles: Purevdorj (EWS) d. Donoghue 6-1, 6-2

#1 Doubles: Jeong/Boolchandani (EWS) d. Dick/Romani 6-1, 6-1
#2 Doubels: O’Connor/Levy (EWS) d. Kunchala/Rivenbent 6-0, 6-1
#3 Doubles: Alexander/Przybyszewski (EWS) d. Reinhart/Brady 6-1, 6-0

You’ll notice that the entire EWS team did not drop a set, an impressive accomplishment. However, what you may not notice is that the team was short a player: Molly was unable to play due to the Jewish holiday. This opened the door for most of the singles line-up to play up one spot, and it also allowed Tergel to start in her first singles match—an auspicious start to say the least!

While the racquet-swinging Jesters have maintained a strong record to date, their greatest challenge lies ahead. We’re not talking about a potential re-match (we hope) against Guilderland in the sectional tournament. We’re not talking about a grudge match with Bethlehem to set the record straight after last year’s controversial loss. The challenge we’re talking about is the need for the team to stay focused from now until the big matches that await us at the end of the season. More than being the most skilled, the team that waves the championship trophy a couple weeks from now will be the team that wants it most. The next few days will be all about cultivating our desire to claim first place!

EW 2–Shenendahowa 7

On a crisp fall afternoon Emma Willard headed off to Shenendahowa High School for its last regular season match. With Shenendahowa seeded #2 and Emma Willard seeded #4 in the upcoming team tournament, this was a good match to gauge the level of competition that lays ahead. Though Emma Willard lost 2-7, many lessons were learned.

The doubles line up nearly had a clean sweep. Anna and Reeya, once again showed their doubles skills. Comments from a Shen fan on the sideline, confirmed this with, “wow, that team really knows how to win points at the net.”  They took the match 7-5, 6-1.

Charis and Emma, motivated by their own fan base, looked as confident as ever. They came out swinging and came out with a very concise 6-2, 6-2 win. Playing together for the first time, Colleen and Robin started out slow. After starting to turn things around, they ran out of time and dropped the 10 point tiebreaker, which was played instead of a third set. 4-6, 6-4 (8-10).

The singles line-up had a tough time with everyone dropping their matches. The consistent theme throughout was responding to the short chip shot, which most of the Shen players executed beautifully in response to any short hit groundstrokes from Emma. Coupled with Shen’s consistency, their singles line-up was solid top to bottom. Shibani played a phenomenal match, taking the individual sectional tournament’s #2 seed to a tiebreaker in the first set. Shibani dropped the match 6-7, 2-6 but hopefully learned her level is right on par with Shen’s #1. Molly, Jenn, and Annie all faced opponents who just happened to be more consistent on that day. Unable to move their opponents around and therefore unable to force the action, they all dropped their matches. Molly, 2-6, 0-6; Jenn, 3-6, 0-6; Annie, 2-6, 4-6. Chandana and Callie on courts #5 and #6 played some very high-level tennis. Both played the baseline exceptionally well and with high energy. It was Shen’s ability to bring both Chandana and Callie in with the short chip that finally secured Shen the win on these courts. Chandana 4-6, 4-6; Callie, 2-6, 6-1, (6-10).

This was a good match to play before hitting the team tournament next Tuesday. Seeded #4 in the tournament, Emma Willard faces off against Shaker. This home match starts at 3pm. Fans come on out!

EWS 7–Shaker 2

The sky was blue, the air was crisp, and the Emma Willard tennis team was ready for action. The Jesters took an impressive stand in the quarterfinals of the Class AA sectional tournament, proving that its #4 seed was warranted.

#1 Singles: Das (EWS) d. Crummet 6-1, 6-1
#2 Singles: Goodman (EWS) d. Tuong 6-1, 6-0
#3 Singles: DeVito (EWS) d. Coyle 7-6 (5), 3-6, 7-5
#4 Singles: Hargrave (EWS) d. Powens 6-1, 6-3
#5 Singles: Puttachi (Shaker) d. Hemanthkumar 6-4, 6-4
#6 Singles: Winkeller (EWS) d. Wolner 6-4, 3-6, 6-4

#1 Doubles: Jeong/Boolchandani (EWS) d. Dallol/Steek 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-3
#2 Doubles: Erutsal/Burge (Shaker) d. O’Connor/Levy 6-2, 6-3
#3 Doubles: Alexander/Przybyszewski (EWS) d. Mukerji/O'Connor 6-1, 6-4

Shibani's opponent brought to her game an intensity bigger than the court, which led to inconsistency in her play. Cool as a cucumber, Shibani answered with steady strokes and a straight-set victory: 6-1, 6-1.

Molly played strong tennis right out of the gates. Her opponent never had a chance to establish a rhythm, which allowed Molly to make quick work of the match.

Demonstrating her signature tenacity, Jenn did not let her second-set loss throw her off balance. She fought hard for every point, working the angles from the baseline and running up to meet the shallow balls. Her three-set marathon kept her on the court twice as long as some of her teammates.

Annie employed her hard-charging footwork and baseline consistency to unwind her opponent. There was never a question that she would walk away with the victory.

If Chandana goes down, you know that she’ll go down fighting. There were several points where her opponent thought she had hit a winner, but Chandana’s foot speed brought to within striking distance. In the end, however, she succumbed to her opponent’s impressive consistency and ball placement.

The match’s momentum remained with Callie for the entire first set, but during the second set, it seemed that her energy was beginning to fizzle. Fortunately, Callie tapped into her energy reserves in the third set. She refused to be intimidated by her opponent’s towering presence at the net—her opponent stood more than six feet tall—mixing offensive lobs with shots to the feet.

Reeya and Anna faced off against a team that was skilled with the lob and demonstrated impressive returns of serve down the line. Yet, Reeya and Anna remained steady in light of their opponents’ use of unusual formations (e.g., Australian formation) and aggressive net play. The match is summed up nicely with the phrase that Reeya frequently said to her opponent, “It’s all good.”

It was clear from the start that second doubles would be a tough match. Eloise and Robin’s opponents were skilled in all aspects of the game. While Eloise and Robin displayed their potential for impressive play on a number of occasions, they could not sustain the consistency necessary to answer their opponents’ attack.

At one point during the match, it seemed that the outcome of the match would rest on the performance of the third doubles team. They were the last team onto the courts, and consequently, the last team to finish their game. It was comforting to the spectators to see that Emma and Charis were on their game, never once allowing their opponents to gain a foothold. Emma’s powerful groundstrokes and Charis’s attacking net play sealed the fate of the match.

This impressive victory in the pocket, the EWS tennis team will gear up for the semi-finals to be played against #1-seeded Guilderland on Friday.

EW 4–Guilderland 5

It could have been one of those great sports stories where the underdog knocks out the top seed for a chance at the championship, but it was not to be. The Emma Willard team came so close to an upset, but Guilderland came out on top by one court. The Emma Willard team should stand proud. Some players played out of their mind to secure a victory for their team. A 2-7 season loss to the same team was turned into a close 5-4 nail biter. As with any close loss, there is disappointment. On the bright side, more lessons were learned on what it takes to become a championship team. The formula is getting close. Maybe next year?