Consider the Chittenango girls tennis team as the new rulers of the OHSL Freedom division, earned in the best way possible.
All the Bears did was confront first-place, undefeated Jamesville-DeWitt Monday afternoon and put a stop to the Red Rams’ seven-match win streak, mostly relying on doubles play to prevail 5-2.
Battle-tested through a crowded slate of matches that left them 8-2, Chittenango was set for J-D’s challenge and didn’t lose a set in any of those doubles matches.
Megan and Erin McPeak began the four-match doubles sweep, racing past Clare Mooney and Katie Cieplicki 6-2, 6-3. Right on their heels, Tanya Cziesler and Brandyn McDermott roared to a 6-1, 6-2 win over Joanna Wu and Aashi Massani.
Danielle Glasso teamed with Haley Landers in beating Hannah Stefl and Nina Williams 6-1, 6-3. In fourth doubles, Elisabeth Posthill and Kaleigh Kogel beat Elena Marchetti-Bowick and Stella Min by those same 6-1, 6-3 scores.
Up in singles, only Ami Petosa found the win column on Chittenango’s behalf, needing three sets to get past Kyrin Pollock 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. Otherwise, Sierra Sleight fell to Natalie Antosh 7-6, 6-4, and Shelby Bogle took a 6-3, 6-0 loss to Priya Gupta.
As this was going on, Oneida was beating rival Vernon Verona Sherrill 5-2 by following the Chittenango template, which included a doubles sweep.
To get it going, Kelcie O’Neil and Elizabeth Church-Peters gave the Indians a 6-1, 6-2 win over the Red Devils’ tandem of Taylor Salamone and Jess Kingsley. Also, Chelsea Smith and Allison Patricia got past Jenna Flacco and Meg Crandall 6-4, 6-2.
In third doubles, Emily Fitzgerald and Shannon Lawless dominated Jessie Hyle and Amanda Emmerich 6-1, 6-0, while Brittany Buschatzke and Julie Saransky claimed a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Laura Strobel and Brooke Cavanaugh.
Oneida’s lone point in singles came in a long match where Victoria Griffith edged Kaylee Rugg 7-5, 3-6, 7-5. VVS rebounded with Cailee McWilliams beating Samantha Meakin 7-5, 6-2, and Abby Adams sweeping Erin Lawless 6-3, 6-0.
Canastota also got into the win column last Monday, holding off Sauquoit Valley 3-2 by winning both singles matches.
Jennie Fratini topped Allison Scagel 6-2, 7-6, while Tracy O’Hern rallied for a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 win over Sammi Benn. The other point in doubles required a comeback, too, as Stephanie Patterson and Molly Campbell beat Katie Conley and Dana Bever 5-7, 6-4, 6-0.
