Even as it claimed a series of early-season matches, the Cazenovia girls tennis team knew its biggest challenges were still ahead.
And when the Lakers took on undefeated Christian Brothers Academy last Tuesday afternoon, it could not get on the board in a 7-0 defeat to the Brothers.
Laura Connor gave Cazenovia its best chance in singles, only to lose the first set 7-5 to CBA’s Grace DelPino before falling 6-2 in the second set.
It went from there, Abby Burrell falling 6-0, 6-0 to Grace Glowaki and Alex Galle unable to keep up with Gieselle Vlassis in first singles, taking a 6-0, 6-1 defeat.
Charley Harris and Kaitlyn Puffer lost in doubles to Grace Catalano and Grace Coyne 6-3, 6-2, with Emma Dolbear and Nina Royer falling to Calista Albring and Aubrey Mills 6-3, 6-1.
Elsewhere, Nova Berger and Clare Douglas ran into Mary Kilmartin and Isabella Mead and lost, 6-1, 6-0, with Ella Koch and Baylee Pierce falling 6-0, 6-1 to Annie Kilmartin and Maddie Tallman.
A day later, Cazenovia turned that result around, blanking Bishop Grimes 7-0 as Galle and Connor lost just one game apiece in singles wins over, respectively, Katie Knittel and Michaela Marturano. Dolbear took a bit longer, but beat Kate Mathewson 7-6, 6-1.
All of the doubles matches were won in straight sets, too. Burrell and Harris beat Sarah Falgiatano and Abby Fletcher 6-1, 6-4, with Puffer and Royer topping Lenora Cendrone and Abby Wilkinson by those exact same scores.
Berger and Douglas earned a point with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Samantha Burton and Jenny Morabito as Koch and Pierce got their own 6-2, 6-2 decision over Maggie Eallonardo and Hannah Maroney.
Playing again on Friday, Cazenovia defeated Westhill 5-2 by sweeping the singles, with Galle, Connor and Dolbear only giving up three games in their six sets of work.
Two doubles matches were lost in straight sets, but Koch and Pierce won a 6-1, 1-6, 11-9 battle with Hannah Johnston and Kaley Richmond. Also, Berger and Douglas got past Jillian Eckert and Madison Thomas 6-3, 6-2.
Chittenango ran into its own powerhouse opponent last Tuesday, too, only in this case it was Oneida earning the 7-0 win as the Bears, who only got two combined games in six sets from singles players Anna Rooney, Delaney Dawkins and Brooke DiFlorio.
Riley Ellis and Sarah Lanphear got to a second-set tie-breaker, only to fall to Mattie Hicks and Sophia Skinner 6-1, 7-6.
Shelby Maring and Brenna Stanton had a 6-1, 6-3 loss to Emily Marshall and Molly Moyer. The teams of Abbie Austin-Leah Demauro and Chloe Foran-Katie Simmons earned just two games apiece in their matches.
Just 24 hours later, the Bears made its own turnaround to top Mexico 7-0, starting with DiFlorio’s 6-0, 6-0 shutout of Juliana Smith as Rooney beat Juliana Hernandez 6-0, 6-2 and Dawkins handled Kim Heagerty 6-1, 6-1.
To preserve the shutout, Ellis and Lanphear needed to go through three long sets to get past Mia Morris and Destiny Teachout 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 as Foran and Stanton won, 7-5, 6-2, over Catrina Edwards and Caitlyn Hackett 7-5, 6-2.
Simmons, pairing with Bella Toscano, earned a point by defeating Grace Mason and Shelby Schumacher 6-4, 6-3. Austin and Keelin Davie rolled past Alivia Kelsey and Emma Teeter 6-1, 6-1.
On Thursday, Chittenango claimed another 7-0 shutout, this one over Pulaski as Rooney and Dawkins each won 6-0, 6-0 matches over, respectively, Chyanna LaCelle and Cassie McGregor, with DiFlorio handling Holly Pacyon 6-1, 6-0.
Ellis and Lanphear got through a second-set tie-breaker, but beat Rhyana Kveton and Olivia Taylor 6-1, 7-6. Maring and Stanton handled Lauren Denny and Chelcie Oakes 6-0, 6-3, just as Austin and Davie blanked Madison Hanks and Julia Hefti 6-0, 6-0. Foran and Simmons won, 6-1, 6-4, over Isabella Pierce and Jessica Yesensky.
All of this took place before Friday’s match between Chittenango and CBA. As with Cazenovia, the Bears did not get a point in a 7-0 defeat to the Brothers, only recording two games in the course of 14 sets.
