Astonishing numbers have become routine when it regards the Fayetteville-Manlius girls tennis team, but another one popped up in the last full week of September.
When the Hornets blanked Liverpool 7-0 Monday afternoon, it was head coach Phil Rudolph’s 400th win at the helm, accomplished against just six defeats since he took over in 1984.
Of course, most of those wins have come in a row, a streak that reached 308 against the Warriors and stretches for 19 seasons, though Baldwinsville and Auburn threatened to end that run before F-M beat them in 4-3 battles earlier in September.
Shirely Zhang, with a 6-0, 6-0 shutout of Hannah Foster, began the latest rout, while Sienna Susko dismissed Nicolette Hamilton 6-1, 6-0 and Meaghan Creamer pushed past Katey Padden 6-0, 6-1.
In doubles, Shannon Fullam and Madison Jordan had the closest match, handling Pauline Mabie and Kristin Glor 6-3, 6-0, just as Lyndsey Rand and Katie Roche earned a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Juile Pento and Megan Reilly.
Also in doubles, Laurin Goldberg and Jessica Guarino handled Monica Johnson and Sara Noll 6-1, 6-0. Allison Donella and Alexandra Millimaci closed things out by beating Leann Hofstead and Kiki Palmer 6-2, 6-0.
The Hornets’ 4-3 victory over Auburn last Thursday afternoon differed from the dramatic Sept. 7 battle with B’ville, where Susko had to save two match points and rally in a third-set tie-breaker to edge Kahlei Reisinger for the clinching point.
Here, F-M ceded all three singles matches. The trio of Donella, Zhang and Gina Rhee picked up just five total games in straight-set losses to Claire Minnoe, Lauryn Husby and Julia Wagner.
But in doubles, the Hornets dominated. Susko, teaming with Goldberg, set the tone, ripping past Jenna Jarman and Lindsay May 6-1, 6-2, while Creamer and Guarino took out Jessica Bolak and Anupama Irri 6-3, 6-3.
In roughly the same amount of time, Rand and Roche earned a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Kaitlyn Hlywa and Sarah Wansor, while Rhee, playing with Millimaci, worked past Natalie Herlihy and Anna Spin 6-2, 6-4.
