SENIOR CAPTAIN Maddie Sieve defeated her second singles counterpart in straight sets during the girls’ tennis team’s 5-0 victory over Amesbury on May 13. (Jamie Hayman Photo)

 

 

After press time:

Lynnfield defeats North Reading 5-0 (May 23)
Lynnfield defeats Rockport 4-1 (May 22)
Lynnfield falls to Marblehead 3-2 (May 21)
Lynnfield defeats Triton 5-0 (May 20)

 

Published May 22, 2024

By DAN TOMASELLO

LYNNFIELD — The girls’ tennis team is one win away from qualifying for the state tournament for the 41st consecutive year.

Lynnfield (9-5) began last week shutting out Amesbury 5-0 on May 13.

Sophomore Lily Alves got the start at first singles in place of captain Paige Martino for the first time this season. She defeated her opponent in two sets, 6-2, 6-1.

“Lily moved up to first singles from second singles, and got a straight-set win,” said Pioneers head coach Craig Stone. “The score does not indicate the closeness of the match, but Lily is relentless with her steady play and court sense.”

Senior captain Maddie Sieve dispatched her second singles counterpart in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2. Sieve has started at third singles this season.

“Both sets started evenly after the first few games, but Maddie asserted herself halfway through the first and second sets with deep ground strokes for the win,” said Stone.

Senior captain Leticia Marafon moved up from first doubles to third singles, and defeated her opponent in two sets, 6-0, 6-2.   

“Leticia played her first match as a singles player, and seemed to enjoy the experience as witnessed by her successful play,” said Stone. “All aspects of her game were solid and there was an air of confidence in her play.”

Sophomore Vicky McCrann and freshman Emma Wagon started at first doubles and easily dispatched their opponents 6-0, 6-0.

Sophomores Nandana Nishanth and Fiona Asaad earned their first varsity wins at second doubles after easily dismantling their counterparts in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0.   

“Vicky and Emma moved up to first doubles and did not yield a game as did Nandana and Fiona, who were playing in their first varsity match,” said Stone.

Stone said the Pioneers played very well against the Red Hawks while missing Martino and junior/first doubles starter Ella Hayman.

“It’s always good to give teammates who normally do not start an opportunity to play as they will be future starters,” said Stone. “There is no substituting during play in this sport. It is quite an unselfish gesture of sportsmanship and camaraderie for a starting player to let this happen, and it is very appreciated by their teammates.”

Falls to Beverly

The Pioneers fell 4-1 to Division 1 Beverly on May 14.

Martino dismantled her first singles counterpart in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1.

“Paige once again asserted herself from the first rally, and controlled every aspect of the match,” said Stone.   

Alves lost her second doubles match in three sets and suffered a sprained ankle during the match. After losing the first set 6-7, Alves bounced back and won the third set 6-3. She lost the third set super tiebreaker 2-10.

“Lily battled for over two hours and split sets,” said Stone. “With Beverly already up 3-1, they played a 10-point super tiebreaker for the match.”

Sieve came up short during her third singles match in two sets, 1-6, 2-6.

Marafon and Hayman lost their first doubles match in connective sets, 4-6, 3-6.

McCrann and Wagon dropped their second doubles match in two sets, 3-6, 4-6.

Stone said the Pioneers gave a valiant effort against the Panthers.

“We had our chances,” said Stone.  “If we played the match again the next day, it could be a totally different result. These are the types of matches we will need to win to go deep into the state tournament.”

Defeats Pentucket

The Pioneers bounced back and defeated Pentucket 4-1 on May 15.

Martino wasted no time with dispatching her first singles opponent in straight sets, 6-0, 6-1.

“Paige cruised again at first singles, asserting herself as one of the top singles players on the North Shore,” said Stone.

Sieve got the start at second singles and secured a two-set victory, 6-3, 6-0.

“Maddie was bumped up to second singles due to Lily being out with an ankle sprain that occurred at Beverly,” said Stone. “Maddie was up 4-3 in the first set, and she won the next eight games to close out the match.”

Marafon cruised past her third singles counterpart in straight sets, 6-0, 6-2.

“Leticia is proving to be an effective singles player as well as a doubles player after winning her second third singles match of the season,” said Stone.

Hayman and McCrann lost their first doubles match in three sets. After losing their first set 2-6, Hayman and McCrann bounced back and won the second set 6-3. Hayman and McCrann lost the third set 6-7.

Wagon and junior Parminder Saini won their second doubles match in two sets, 6-3, 6-3.

“Parminder and Emma played two identical sets with both teams playing even until 4-3, when in each set the Pioneer tandem would win the next two games for a straight-set win,” said Stone.

Stone commended the Pioneers’ play against Pentucket.

“Playing its third match in as many days, the Pioneers rebounded from the tough loss to Beverly with a 4-1 win,” said Stone. “Winning the next match after a tough loss in the previous one seems to restore a semblance of confidence and direction. Individually, the players must trust their strokes and understand what is working that day. You will not always have your total game together, but you can always find what is working and build on that.”

Clipped by Newburyport

The Pioneers concluded last week falling 4-1 to Newburyport on May 18. The Clippers defeated the Pioneers earlier this spring.

Martino won a hard-fought first singles match in two sets, 7-5, 6-2.

“It was a great match to watch at first singles, with both players pounding groundstrokes from the baseline,” said Stone.  “The first set was dead even at 5-5 before Paige won the last two games. The second set also was played evenly until Paige jumped out 2-1 and then 5-2 before earning match point.”

Sieve lost her second singles match in three sets. After winning the first set 6-3, Sieve lost the second set 3-6 and lost the third set super tiebreaker 7-10.

Asaad lost her third singles match in straight sets, 0-6, 1-6.

“Fiona stepped into her first career singles match with Maddie moving up, and played admirably,” said Stone. “Only a sophomore, she has tremendous potential for the future.”

Marafon and Hayman fell 3-6, 2-6 during first doubles.

McCrann and Wagon dropped their second doubles match in two sets, 0-6, 1-6.

Stone noted that the match against Newburyport had been previously postponed due to rain, which resulted in a “rare Saturday match” for both teams.

“Newburyport is ranked number one in the Power Rankings for Division 3,” said Stone. “Obviously, playing without Lily put us at a disadvantage, but still being able to play competitively was a positive sign.”

Upcoming matches

The Pioneers faced Triton on Monday, May 20 and Marblehead on Tuesday, May 21, both taking place after deadline. Lynnfield hosts Rockport on Wednesday, May 22, beginning at 3:30 p.m. The Pioneers host North Reading on Thursday, May 23, beginning at 4 p.m.

“We need to finish strong this week to set the stage for a long run into the Division 4 state tournament,” said Stone.