MIDDLEBURY — What has been a fine season for the Middlebury Union High School girls’ tennis program ended on Friday, when No. 5 seed Essex defeated the No. 4 Tigers, 6-1, in a Division I quarterfinal.
The result could not be called a surprise despite the seeds. The 10-4 Hornets play a tough Metro Conference schedule, while the Tigers compiled their 11-4 record against mostly D-II competition.
Coach Laura Rumbough is considering in the future upgrading her team’s schedule to the Metro, which might mean fewer wins, but better tennis.
“I’m so excited to be playing Essex,” Rumbough said. “It’s good tennis, and it brings up our level.”
Even without that tougher competition to spur them on, Rumbough said the Tigers have “shown a ton of improvement” this spring by focusing on their skills and supporting one another.
“It’s been such a nice season because the girls on the team are such great girls,” she said. “They work hard. They’re positive. They’re good athletes. They enjoy it.”
The Tigers earned their point from the No. 2 doubles team of sophomores Claire Wulfman and Monroe Cromis, who bounced back from a first-set loss and won a tiebreaker after prevailing in the second set. Freshman Bree Cotroneo and the No. 1 doubles team of senior Jesse Wulfman and junior Faith Isham also played competitive matches, as did senior Marvie Avery, the team’s No. 1 for the past three years.
Rumbough said the other matches were closer than they appeared on paper.
“The scores are not indicative of the quality of the matches. The points were long, and there were a number of deuce games,” she said.
As well as Avery and Jesse Wulfman, a third senior starter, Hannah Stoll, will graduate. But Rumbough noted some returning players will volunteer at Middlebury Indoor Tennis and earn winter court time as a result. She believes the Tigers will hit the courts running next spring.
“I’m really excited about that,” she said.
The results in the individual matches this past Friday were:
• At No. 1 singles, Jordan Walsh, E, defeated Avery, M, 6-2, 6-3.
• At No. 2 singles, Rylee Wrenner, E, defeated Cotroneo, M, 7-6, 7-5.
• At No. 3 singles, Cristina Tellez, E, defeated Stoll, M, 6-0, 6-2.
• At No. 4 singles, Zoe Filan, E, defeated Charlotte Keathley, M, 6-0, 6-1.
• At No. 5 singles, Anna Ursiny, E, defeated Amelia Ingersoll, M, 6-0, 6-0.
• At No. 1 doubles, Ashley Claude/Sophia Seman, E, defeated J. Wulfman/ Isham, M, 7-6, 6-7, 10-4.
• At No. 2 doubles, C. Wulfman/Cromis, M, defeated Sarah Dyke/Sam Kershner, E, 1-6, 6-2, 10-8.