The Conant girls’ tennis team will face undefeated No. 1 Saint Thomas in the NHIAA Division III semifinals after beating No. 5 Profile on Wednesday to open the playoffs.
“I’m thrilled for them,” said Conant head coach Jody Baker, “and I think the experience of playing the No. 1 team is going to be good for them.”
The Orioles exceeded all expectations, including their own, this season, after losing their top players to graduation and moving the fifth, sixth and seventh players from last year up to one, two and three.
“We didn’t even think we would make it to playoffs with all underclassmen, but I’m really impressed with what we’ve done this year,” said Conant No. 1 Sarah Smith, who started playing for the Orioles as an eighth grader and worked her way to the top spot in her sophomore year.
Smith dispatched Profile’s Iris Miller White at No. 1 singles and then paired with Elizabeth Gonyea for a doubles victory that clinched the Orioles’ team win.
“Staying in the point, that’s the most important thing,” Smith said.
Gonyea won her No. 3 singles 8-1, and the n the Orioles got a pair of wins from the bottom of their ladder, as Emily Muilenberg (8-1) and Lily Bower (8-5) both put their Patriot opponents away.
“I liked the bottom of the ladder winning so solidly,” Baker said.
Muilenberg and Bower won their doubles match 8-3. Abby Wheeler and Kayley Bennett put on a spirited comeback after going down 4-1 early in their doubles contest and ultimately fell 9-7.
On Friday, the No. 4 Orioles (13-2) head to undefeated juggernaut Saint Thomas (15-0), just down from Division II this season.
Gonyea said she’s looking for an upset; after all, her No. 1 girls’ basketball team was upset by No. 4 Fall Mountain in the playoffs, so why shouldn’t No. 4 Conant do the same to the Saints?
“I think if we just go in with a positive attitude, we’ll do our best,” Smith said. “Like our coach says, if you believe you can win, you’re already halfway there.”
“I’m happy,” Baker said. “I’m a happy coach. I feel really good about where we’ve gone. I would have been happy even if we lost today, I would have said good for you for making playoffs. But it’s always good to get one more in.”
ConVal’s first playoff appearance in five years ended quickly, as a dominant Souhegan team dispatched the Cougars 8-1 at Jasper Valley Swim and Tennis in Amherst Tuesday.
“Everyone played and competed well,” said head coach Michael Young of his sixth-seeded Cougars. “We lost to Souhegan twice during the regular season, but this was the best we played against them this year.”
The defending champion and current No. 3 seed Sabers won everything except No. 3 singles, where Taylor Burgess concluded his excellent season with an 8-3 win over Joshua Goddard. Otherwise, it was all Souhegan; Zach Kreibel (8-3), Everett Landers (8-5), Jamison Coty (8-5), Noah Krason (8-2) and Jaimini Viles (8-3) all went down swinging in singles, and the teams of Kriebel/Burgess (9-8), Landers/Coty (8-5) and Krason/Viles (8-6) lost in doubles.
The state singles and doubles tournaments start June 1, with ConVal’s top players likely making the cut.
ConVal did not have any seniors and could return its entire roster next spring.