BY KEN MORSE
CITIZEN’S NEWS
The Woodland girls tennis team started the season strong and Naugatuck was putting the pieces together. When the NVL tournament came around, the Hawks made it to the semifinals while the Hounds fell short in the opening round.
Woodland coach Jessica DeGennaro was hoping her team would reach the semifinal round as they did last year and Naugy head coach Jose Sendra was looking for his girls to be competitive. Woodland reached the final four before bowing out to Wolcott, 6-1, in the semis on May 17. Audrey Fencil (8-2), Yasmeen Galal (8-4), Vivien Mogyoros (8-4) and Laura DeGennaro (8-1) all lost in singles play. In doubles, Rylie Montini and Bella Mastropietro won by an 8-6 margin. The doubles teams of Ava Naclerio-Abby Raffone (8-2) and Cori Patchkofsky-Cate Fazzone (8-4) lost their matches.
The Naugy girls put on a late charge to qualify for the NVL tournament and then put up a strong effort, coming up short to Wolcott, 4-3, in the opening round on May 16. Camryn Smith lost to two-time defending champion Reese Yost, 8-1, at No. 1 singles. Josephine Burke put on a game effort at No. 2 singles, dropping a tough 8-6 decision. Cassie Cozzi lost, 8-2, at No. 3 singles and Amy Morrissey came up short, 8-1, at No. 4. In doubles play, Naugy got stronger with Ava and Sophia DeFilippo gutting out a 9-7 decision. Kaitlyn Swindon and Bryanna Jones won an 8-4 outcome, and the team of Eliviah Shroeder and Julianna Dwyer claimed a 9-7 victory.
Individual tournament
The Woodland doubles team of Montini and Mastropietro earned All-NVL honors and reached the semifinals, where they fell, 4-6, 6-1, 10-3 to eventual champions Meghan Hughes and Maggie Dassatti of Watertown. Montini and Mastropietro picked up 8-1 wins in their first two matches to reach the semifinal round. Naclerio and Raffone won an opening round match, 8-1, before getting knocked out by a 9-8 (5-2) scored.
Mogyoros won, 8-0 in the opening round of singles before falling, 8-2, in the quarterfinal round. Audrey Fencil won a second round match, 8-1, before falling in the quarterfinal round by an 8-2 margin.
The Naugy doubles team of Jones and Swindon claimed a close 8-6 win in the first round before falling, 8-2, in the second round. The DeFilippo sisters won a second round match, 8-1, before falling in the quarterfinal round, 9-7.
In singles play, Smith won an 8-6 first round match before losing, 8-1, in the second round. Burke survived a tough first round match, 9-8 (7-3), before losing a quarterfinal by an 8-2 count.
