S-GI girls tennis remains undefeated in division play and remains in first place

The Springville girls tennis team took care of two divisional opponents last week with doubleheader victories over Cheektowaga on September 17 and Maryvale on September 19 before facing off in a thrilling non-division singles match on September 20 at the Mt. Mercy Academy fell.

The wins improved the team to 5-0 in division play and first place.

Against Cheektowaga, the Griffins won a doubleheader (two sets of eight games), 5-0, 5-0.

In the first singles action, Evelyn Berry won 8-0, 8-1. In the second singles match, Natalie Rumfola won 8-0, 8-0.

Evelyn did a great job from the baseline and made it a tough match for her opponent with her shot. Natalie had no problem executing her game plan on the day by attacking her opponent's weaknesses, Springville head girls tennis coach Bob Gainey said.

In the first doubles match, Taylor Wells and Peyton Wells won 8-0, 8-0. In the second doubles match, Alexis Beckwith and Chloe Dinse-Johnson won 8-0, 8-0, while the third doubles match was a forfeit victory.

The girls (Taylor and Peyton) played their best game of the season and showed quality play all over the field. In the second doubles match, both girls (Alexis and Chloe) hit some great shots on the day and stayed consistent throughout both sets.

Against Maryvale, the Griffins earned their second doubleheader win with a pair of 4-1 scores.

Berry won 8-1 and 8-4 at first singles, while Rumfola took second singles, 8-0 and 8-2. Teerada Dickson fell in the third singles, 0-8 and 1-8.

Evelyn's basic skills were on full display as she hit many short turns and winners that day. Natalie's consistency on the pitch was evident throughout the match. She was patient when she needed to be aggressive and it paid off big time. In third singles, the result didn't tell the whole story as Teerada rushed the entire match and hit some great shots, Gainey said.

In the first doubles match, Taylor Wells and Peyton Wells won 8-1, 8-0. In the second doubles match, Lexi Beckwith and Chloe Dinse-Johnson won 8-3, 8-0.

The girls (Taylor and Peyton) have shown tremendous progress over the past week and that continues to translate into great results for the team. Both girls made solid plays from the net and baseline. Lexi and Chloe dropped the first three games of the match and never lost another that day. Their focus and determination were a constant for both girls and it resulted in the win.

S-GI ended the week with a 3-2 loss in a non-league match against the two-time defending Monsignor Martin Champions, Mt. Mercy.

In the first singles action, Berry won 6-1, 6-2. In the second singles match, Rumfola won 6-3, 6-1.

Evelyn was on fire throughout the match as she played a patient and disciplined game to earn the big win. Evelyn made it a point to pressure her opponent by keeping the ball deep and making her work for everything. It was Evelyn's most impressive win of the season. Natalie was at her best during the match with her precise groundstrokes and clever game plan, forcing her opponent to move all over the court. Natalie has been on fire lately and her progress over the course of the season has been evident, Gainey said.

In the first doubles match, Taylor Wells and Chloe Dinse-Johnson lost 0-6, 0-6. In the second doubles match, Lexy Beckwith and Jackie Thompson lost 2-6, 4-6. In the third doubles match, Teerada Dickson and Brooklyn Heim lost 0-6, 0-6.

Taylor and Chloe were paired together for the first time all season and had a tough opponent. Despite the score, both girls put in a great display and have a lot to build on for their next match. This was once again the first time Lexy and Jackie were paired together this season and the girls started to find their feet as the match progressed. Both players did a great job moving around the field and giving 100%. The score in the Teerada and Brooklyn match was deceptive as the tandem played many games to deuce, but things just didn't go their way for this particular match. Still, it was a valuable experience that the girls will take with them as we close out the season.

In practice action, Gianna Nevins and Mackenzie Neff lost 7-9. Both girls had a great night keeping the points alive and staying focused. The girls are now 5-4 overall, but more importantly, they sit atop first place in Division 3 with a perfect 5-0 record, Gainey said.