MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury Union High School girls’ tennis team fell to No. 1 CVU in the high school playoffs on Friday, but got to the match with an exciting victory just two days earlier.
The Tigers won all three tiebreakers played to decide matches — all by two points — and that was the difference as the No. 8 Tigers edged visiting No. 9 Rutland, 4-3, on Wednesday in a first-round playoff match.
In two of the those victories, by juniors Claire Wulfman and Monroe Cromis at Nos. 2 and 4 singles, respectively, they trailed in the tiebreakers and rallied to win.
Wulfman’s win gave the Tigers the decisive point. She was down, 7-5, before going on a 5-1 run by solidifying her first serve and exploiting her opponent’s backhand. Cromis lost a 9-6 lead and trailed, 10-9, before running off three straight points to win.
And the second doubles team of junior Tasha Hescock and Elizabeth Chamberlain, like both Wulfman and Cromis, won the first set, and lost their second set. Their second set was a tiebreaker loss, and they turned right around and played a tiebreaker for their match and won, 10-8.
The No. 1 doubles team of Ember Benatti, the team’s only senior, and junior Amelia Ingersoll gave the Tigers their first point by cruising to a two-set win.
Coach Carrie Wulfman said the Tigers demonstrated grit on a warm, windy day to pull out the close matches. She also alluded to the fact that her first doubles team is composed of second-year players, and her second doubles unit both joined the varsity team just this spring.
“It shows how hard they’ve worked and what good focus they have,” Wulfman said.
After Wednesday’s victory, Coach Wulfman said regardless of that result vs CVU it’s been an enjoyable and productive spring for the program.
“It’s been really fun. It’s been a developmental season, with only one senior coming back and 10 total players, and we’ve had several matches where we took less than a full complement of players, and we still did well,” Wulfman said, adding, “I’m really proud of them.”
The individual match results vs. the 6-7 Raiders were:
• At No. 1 singles, Megan Nadler (R) defeated Bree Cotroneo (M), 6-4, 6-0.
• At No. 2 singles, Wulfman (M) defeated Jamie Keith (R), 6-1, 4-6, 10-8.
• At No. 3 singles, Lydia Gulick (R) defeated Charlotte Keathley (M), 6-4, 6-4.
• At No. 4 singles, Cromis (M) defeated Erianna Dupras (R), 6-4, 3-6, 12-10.
• At No. 5 singles, Emma Macpherson (R) defeated Calista Carl (M), 6-3, 7-5.
• At No. 1 doubles, Benatti/Ingersoll (M) defeated Isabel Gulick/Shannon Watelet, (R) 6-3, 6-2.
• At No. 2 doubles, Hescock/Chamberlain (M) defeated Kaeleigh Broyles/Abby Hogenkamp (R), 6-4, 6-7 (7-5), 10-8.