Girls' Tennis Rolls Over Ansonia, Prepares for NVL's

The Woodland girls’ tennis team closed in on a second-consecutive Naugatuck Valley League Copper championship last Thursday on a dreary day in Beacon Falls with a 6-1 win over Ansonia.

The outstanding play of number-one singles player junior Stephanie Badale continued, as she ran her individual record to 18-0 on the season with an 8-1 win over Christle Gavin. Badale dropped the first game to Gavin but rallied back to easily take eight in a row.

“Steph is playing really well this season,” Coach Jessica DeGennaro said. “She’s done a very good job of stepping as the number-one player, but I think this is exactly what she expected of herself. She wanted to go undefeated during the regular season, and she’s just about done that.”

Other Woodland singles players have also been playing very well; in fact, the Hawks swept singles competition on the day. Sophomore Megan Wester shut out Lauren Todd, 8-0, while senior Carly Winterhalder beat Eleonora DeZiacomo, 8-3, and sophomore Lauren Tremaglio handled Chrissy Adamehyk, 8-3.

“All of the singles players have had good seasons,” DeGennaro said. “Megan will be headed to the NVL tournament for her first time this season and we think she can do pretty well in that based on how she’s played. There have been upsets before, as Steph has shown the last couple of years, so she is ready to play.”

The Hawks also captured two of three doubles matches against the Chargers. The number-one team of juniors Sam Angeloszek and Erika Barnett easily defeated Marita Montoner and Maria Cosano, 8-2. Senior Christina Genz and junior Jill Pagoni fell short of Alyssa Goggi and Caroline Franco, 8-5, but Kathryn Broderick and sophomore Angela Vallillo picked up the slack with an 8-3 win over Dorrie Shortell and Allison Siglinger.

“Sam and Erika especially have been playing excellently in doubles,” DeGennaro noted. “They’re ready to play in the NVL tournament as well and they should be able to advance.”

But the focus come next Tuesday and Wednesday’s tournament will be on Badale. She has clinched the number-one seed in the tournament, in which she has placed fourth each of the last two seasons as an unseeded player.

“Steph should be able to advance deep into the tournament,” DeGennaro said. “She’s played well all season, but she knows that upsets can happen because she’s been the one making the upsets the last two years. But her goal is to medal this year after finishing fourth the last two times, and she can do it.”

The NVL tournament takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday at Woodland. The Hawks are now 14-4 on the season.