BY KEN MORSE
CITIZEN’S NEWS
The state divisional team tennis tournament got underway on May 27, and Naugatuck and Woodland made the most of the opportunity. It may not have been the first time that success was met on the tennis court, but it certainly has been quite a while.
In 2013, the Woodland boys had a streak of three straight NVL titles and were winners of 54 matches in a row. This year, the Hawks finished as two-time NVL runner-up, compilng a 16-4 record under second-year coach Ryan McEvoy, who was not bashful when he stated the goal was to play for an NVL title, and the Hawks did just that two years running.
It was a quick out in states last year, losing in the opening round to Shepaug, 4-3. This year, fourth-seeded Woodland defeated No. 20 Immaculate, 6-1, on May 31 and then lost in the quarterfinals to fifth-seeded Shepaug, again by a 4-3 margin. In the victory over Immaculate, Tyler Macdowall, Kayo Niebrzydowski and Evan Lin won in singles play. The doubles teams of Nick Bshara and Brian O’Connell; Diego Sargent and Nate Bouffard; and Spencer Macdowall and Carter Davis were all victorious. In the Shepaug match, Niebrzydowski won in singles. The doubles team of Bshara and O’Connell was victorious, as was the tandem of Sargent and Bouffard.
The last major success for the Woodland girls was when the 2010 team went 19-2 and won the NVL title. This year the Hawks improved on last year’s 9-6 mark, reaching the NVL semifinals while posting a 14-6 overall mark. The No. 11 Hawks won a Class M qualifying match, 6-1, over No. 22 Plainville May 27. In the first round against No. 6 Valley Regional, the Hawks fell short by a 4-2 margin.
In the win over Plainville, Bella Mastropietro (6-2, 6-2), Audrey Fencil (6-1, 6-4), Brooke Reilly (6-0, 6-0) and Yasmeen Gasal (6-0, 6-2) gave the Hawks a commanding advantage. The doubles team of Cori Patchkofsky and Laura DeGennaro (6-2, 6-2) was victorious, as was the tandem of Cate Fazzone and Vivien Mogyoros (6-3, 6-3) took victories. In the match with Valley Regional, Gasal won in singles while the doubles team of Meghan Ruhl and Rylie Montini secured a victory for Woodland.
“I think this is the first time we won at states since I’ve been coaching,” said Woodland coach Jessica DeGennaro. “We were tied 2-2 with Valley Regional. We had two matches going on and were leading in both. It doesn’t get much closer than that.
“I think we went beyond expectations for a rebuilding season. On the bus ride home the girls were already talking about next season. We only graduate two seniors, Brooke Reilly and Meghan Ruhl, so we are excited about continuing to improve next season.”
The Naugatuck girls, still rebuilding from their 2019 NVL title season, finished up at 9-9 and were ranked No. 17 in Class LL. The Greyhounds defeated No. 16 NFA on May 27 by a 4-3 margin. That sent them up against undefeated and top-seeded Amity in the first round, and Naugy lost, 7-0.
In the win over NFA, Mia Grella won at No. 1 singles, 6-0, 6-4. Shravani Daptardar (6-1, 6-2) and Tiffany Nguyen (6-0, 6-2) also picked up wins in singles. In doubles, Alena Rotatori and Ava DeFilippo won, 6-1, 6-1.
“This is my 11th season, and this is the first time we won at states since I’ve been here,” said Naugy coach Jose Sendra (150-51 career record). “That is quite an accomplishment when you go outside the NVL, facing teams from the SCC and the FCIAC (and going) against players that play year-round.
“We had a solid core of seniors to help us rebuild. The girls faced some obstacles but the main part of having fun and making fond memories, that is what this is all about.”
The Naugatuck boys finished at 6-10, continuing the rebuilding process after claiming the 2019 NVL title. The Greyhounds ranked No. 17 in Class L and dropped a 7-0 decision to No. 16 Cheshire on May 27 in the qualifying round.
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