Sports

The Return of Coach Chase: Andover Places Second at New Englands

Andover Girls Tennis wrapped up its season with a second-place finish in the NEPSAC Division A tournament last weekend.

Over the course of the two-day event, the girls beat Convent of the Sacred Heart and Nobles & Greenough (Nobles) Saturday, before falling on Sunday to Milton in the finals. Milton also delivered Andover its only regular season loss earlier in the season.

Despite the loss in the finals, the team considered the tournament and whole season a huge success.

“The season as a whole has been incredibly successful for us,” said Co-Captain Camille Price ’15. “We lost only one match in the main season, placed second in the Kent tournament and second in New England’s.”

Individual performances like that of Isabella Haegg ’16 showcased the team’s overall improvement over the course of the season. After falling to her Nobles opponent during the regular season, she bounced back to a 6-1, 6-1 win in the tournament.

“The tournament was a great reflection on how hard we worked all season. The fact that we made it to the finals is an amazing accomplishment, and I am so proud of all of my teammates. Everyone played their best,” said Reagan Porsorke ’17, who completed the season undefeated at Number 1 singles.

To cap off the impressive second-place finish, the girls officially closed out their season to the tune of a 9-0 sweep over Phillips Exeter Academy last Wednesday, the second time this season.

Andover did not drop a single set in the clash with its archrivals and ended its season with a 10-1 record.

Posorske crushed her opponent 6-0, 6-2. Price won at two seed 6-2, 6-2, followed by another 6-2 6-2 win by Haegg at three seed.

Seniors Co-Captain Campbell Howe ’14 and Katherine Tobeason ’14 ended their Andover tennis careers with two sweeping wins: 6-2, 6-1 and 6-0, 6-1 respectively. Sewon Park ’17 won 6-4, 6-0.

“We closed out singles and doubles very fast. It was awesome to get such a decisive win and end our season on such a high note,” said Haegg. “We all came out and played our games and showed out how much we’ve grown as players.”

With five of the top seven players returning, the sky’s the limit for this young team.

“Our team prides itself on our ability to both work hard and enjoy ourselves both during practice and during matches. Each girl never ceases to amaze me with her dedication and perseverance,” said Price. “While we spend many hours a week together, the tennis team never seems to get tired of each other’s company, a mark of how much we have bonded this year.”