(April 24, 2015) The Worcester Prep tennis teams picked up wins over the Stephen Decatur Seahawks and Salisbury School Dragons over the past week.
Last Friday, the Lady Mallards hosted the Seahawks. Worcester earned victories in all seven matches.
Seniors Tatjana Kondraschow and Mattie Maull shut out their first and second singles opponents 8-0. Juniors Isabel Carulli and Sarah Koon topped their third and fourth singles competition, 8-2 and 8-5, respectively. Freshman Anchita Batra took her fifth singles match 8-3.
Sophomores Eva Parks and Stormy McGuiness were victorious 8-1 at first doubles. Worcester’s second doubles team of Jordie Loomis, a senior, and sophomore Lauren Meoli won their first varsity match, 8-1.
“The girls buckled down and played well after nearly everyone lost their first game,” Prep Coach Cyndee Hudson said. “Sarah again was behind one game until she broke through at 4-5 to go up 6-5, and then on to win 8-5…the girls are hitting strongest going into an intense period of the season.”
Worcester’s boys’ team won 7-0 on Decatur’s courts last Friday.
Seniors Quinn Lukas and Kyle Chandler outscored their first and second singles opponents, 8-1 and 8-0, respectively. Junior Alex Choy and sophomore Zach Wilson shut out their third and fourth singles competition 8-0.
“I thought that Quinn, Kyle and Alex Choy had a dominating service game that punctuated their performance by setting up points early in the play,” Prep Coach Terry Underkoffler said. “I was very happy with Zach Wilson’s service game and how he mixed in drop shots with his strong forehand.”
Decatur forfeited the fifth singles match to sophomore Nik Moondra.
Junior Charlie Pritchard and freshman Brenner Maull took their first doubles match 8-5.
“The No. 1 doubles team … continued their strong approach in their match,” Underkoffler said. “They communicate very well within a rally and mixed their returns with lobs, drops and good angles.”
Sophomore Adam Pizza and junior Bennett Truitt scored an 8-5 victory at second doubles.
“[They] had the tightest battle, outlasting their opponents with Bennett ending the match with two consecutive service aces,” Underkoffler said.
On Monday, Worcester traveled to Salisbury to play the Dragons. Both Mallard teams came home with 7-0 wins.
Kondraschow (8-3), Maull (8-2), senior Fiona Reid (8-1) and juniors Erika Smith (8-0) and Hannah Arrington (8-0) topped their first through fifth singles opponents.
Parks and McGuiness won 8-2 at first doubles. Senior Michelle Curtis and Loomis were successful 8-0 at second doubles.
“The girls played well. Many got to play for the first time at either singles or doubles,” Hudson said. “They stepped up for match play.”
Lukas, senior Erik Zorn and Chandler topped their first through third singles competition 8-0, 8-2 and 8-2, respectively.
“Singles players Quinn, Erik and Kyle started fast and stayed on top of the match from the beginning,” Underkoffler said.
Salisbury forfeited fourth and fifth singles matches to Alex Choy and Wilson.
The first doubles team of senior Chris Choy and Moondra “played very steady in their match,” Underkoffler said. Choy and Moondra won 8-1, while Maull and Pritchard outscored their second doubles opponents 8-0.
The next tennis match is today, Friday, against the Gunston Day Herons at 4 p.m. in Centreville.
