For the West Genesee girls tennis team, the big tests would come in rapid order.
To start with, the Wildcats had to face CNY Counties League leader Fayetteville-Manlius last Tuesday afternoon. The Hornets, who have only surrendered two points all season, didn’t give anything up to WG while earning another 7-0 shutout.
In the first of two matches against F-M in a seven-day span, the Wildcats put up its biggest challenges in doubles, where Danielle Bertelli and Phoebe Nelson led early against Gretchen Ayoub and Margaret Welker, only to take a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 defeat.
Meghan Mello and Katie Viau had a 6-3, 6-3 loss to Katerina Attalah and Patrice Calancie, with the teams of Lauren Ferris-Andrea Wierbinski and Angelina Llanos-Andrea Andreeva also taking two-set losses.
Up in singles, Abigail Thurston got a 6-0, 6-2 loss to Keara Polovick. Anastasia Mello lost to Maggie Bonomo 6-0, 6-0, with Thi Tran gaining just one game in a 6-0, 6-1 loss to Anna Manta.
WG’s week started with a 6-1 victory over Syracuse East, the shutout only broken up by a three-set singles clash where Andrea Wierbinski dropped a third-set tie-breaker in a 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6) defeat to Eve Llanos.
Not dropping a set in the other six matches, the Wildcats saw Anastasia Mello beat Imane Aitnajim 6-0, 6-1 and Danielle Bertelli top Leeanne Reid 6-1, 6-0. Combined, the doubles teams of Mikayla Mannara-Phoebe Nelson, Lauren Ferris-Meghan Mello, Natalie Thurston-Angelina Llanos and Sara Church-Andrea Andreeva dropped just three games in eight combined sets.
Westhill had an opportunity to upend OHSL Liberty division leader Cazenovia last Tuesday afternoon and almost pulled it off before taking a 4-3 defeat to the Lakers.
In singles play, Giovanna Buccina put the Warriors on the board, defeating Summer Steinhorst 6-2, 7-6 (7-2), though Katherine Missert fell to Alex Galle 6-2, 6-0 and Avery Yeates had a 6-2, 6-1 loss to Meg Milmoe.
Getting two points in doubles, Westhill saw the Grace and Katie Lesselroth go to three sets to get past Annaka Bruno and Lizzy Druke 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, with Madelyn Sherlock and Elizabeth Mengucci won in straight sets. Abbey Mullen and Lydia Stevenson fell to Lucy and Laura Connor 6-1, 7-6 (7-4).
A day earlier, Westhill had rolled past Phoenix 6-1, getting singles wins from Missert over Gianna DeRoberts 7-5, 6-1 and Yeates over Lauren Schmidt 6-1, 6-3 as Buccina took a 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) defeat to Brielle DeRoberts.
The Warriors swept all four doubles matches from the Firebirds, with the teams of Lesselroth-Lesselroth and Zoe Hynes-Cami Cortez both getting 6-0, 6-0 shutouts and the duos of Mullen-Stevenson and Sherlock-Mengucci not surrendering more than one game in any of their sets.
Jordan-Elbridge could not get a point from Manlius-Pebble Hill in last Monday’s 7-0 defeat. In the closest of the three singles matches, Toni Malvaso fell to Parmees Fazeli 6-2, 6-0, and the Trojans won all three of the contested doubles matches in straight sets, too.
The Eagles also lost 7-0 to Skaneateles on Friday, forfeiting one doubles match, but contesting everything else. In singles, Toni Malvaso nearly got a set from Alex Ditch, but still took a 6-2, 7-5 defeat as Miranda Malvaso lost, 6-2, 6-3, to Erica Byrne and Amelia Younis fell to Mary McNeil 6-2, 6-1.
