Lenox Girls Repeat as Western Mass Champs
LENOX, Mass. – The Lenox girls tennis team Thursday swept the doubles points en route to a 3-2 win over county rival Mount Greylock in the championship match of the Western Massachusetts Class C Tournament.
Katie Shove gave the Millionaires a point at second singles.
And the doubles tandems of Nicky Illingworth/Caroline Kump and Gali Gomez/Reeva Patel both won in straight sets to clinch the Millionaires’ second straight regional crown.
Lenox coach Monica Herman said her team’s hard work paid off.
“Our girls squad has an incredible work ethic, which has contributed to their success for the past two years,” Herman said. “When I give them the day off, so I can only practice with the boys team, they ask to come. Some of them practice and play on weekends, when we don’t have any matches. They do research on the competition and watch the boys matches to learn from them. They are a hungry and eager group of girls who love this sport and this team.”
Mount Greylock got points from Mia Patrick at first singles and Amelia Madrigal at No. 3.
In the regular season, Mount Greylock lost both matches to Lenox by scores of 4-1.
“The girls played a great competitive match and gave us a chance to win a title,” Mount Greylock coach John Jacobbe said. “We just came up a little short.”
Both teams are young. Lenox has six ninth-graders and two seventh-graders on a 12-girl squad. Five of the seven starters on Thursday are ninth-graders.
“I can’t imagine how good they are going to be when this group of freshmen are seniors,” Herman said.
“It was a tough battle today and a very close match overall, since it was 2-2 with first doubles out there until the end. They are a pleasure to coach. They are my dream team.”
Both Lenox and Mount Greylock wait to learn who they will face in the first round of next week’s State Tournament.
Singles
No. 1 Mia Patrick, MG, def. Rory Lenehan, 6-0, 6-0.
No. 2 Katie Shove, Lnx, def. Emily Ouellette, 6-4, 6-3.
No. 3 Amelia Madrigal, MG, def. Julia Zanin, 6-0, 6-4.
Doubles
No. 1 Nicky Illingworth/Caroline Kump, Lnx, def. Charlotte Towler/Bridget Igoe, 6-3, 6-4.
No. 2 Gali Gomez/Reeva Patel, Lnx, def. Tiffany Gonzales/Molly Karampatsos, 6-0, 6-0.