Girls Tennis Earns First Win Of Young Season Over Bishop Connolly

The girls took care of business at home on Monday with a 5-0 thumping of the Bishop Connolly Cougars. It was the tennis team’s first win of the season.

The Whalers were shorthanded without their regular top singles player, Joan Harris, but Lauren Cutone stepped into her top spot and performed very well, which was no surprise to head coach Luke Thornewill.

Cutone lost her first set 3-6, but she bounced back with two very strong sets to take the match thanks to some excellent ball placement with her shots. She won the last two sets 6-2, 7-2.

Fiona Keltz won her match as the second singles player 6-0, 6-1 and continues to impress in her freshman season. Thornewill said he admires her tennis IQ and work ethic to get better. In Keltz match report after the game, she said this was one of her best matches of the young season.

“I felt that I could rely more on my forehands, which gave me more confidence during my match,” Keltz said. “My opponent’s returns were short so it made it difficult to have to run up everytime without it bouncing twice. My opponent also would hit really deep and high balls, which I think I need to work more on to be able to get around the ball better. Overall, I think I did really good this match and I was able to see what types of strokes I want to work on.”

Hannah Gerardi made quick work of her opponent, winning her third singles matchup 6-0, 6-0.

Apparently when Chloe Marrero isn’t spiking balls in the face of opponents while playing volleyball, she takes to the tennis court to serve up aces in a different way. She and her doubles partner Julia Swietlik won their matchup 6-1, 6-1.

Sutton LeBrecht and Lydia Johnson anchored the second doubles pairing and won easily in straight sets 6-1, 6-1.

It was a solid effort by the girls on Monday, and they will be right back in action on Wednesday, April 12 when they travel to St. John Paul II to take on the Lions at 3:30 p.m.