ONONDAGA COUNTY – When the Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse girls tennis teams went head-to-head for the first time on Monday afternoon, they each had several league matches – and some wins – in the books.
Getting underway on Sept. 2, Liverpool rolled past Syracuse West 7-0, with the doubles teams of Diana Kozenyatko-Gabby Underwood, Meghan Bell-Olivia Magnarelli, Kelly Geiwitz-Ashleigh Rosen and Grace Geary-Bianca Vaccaro not dropping a game in any of their eight sets.
Angelica Underwood led the way in singles, routing Hsar Eh Soe 6-0, 6-1. Maiya Fitzgibbons took a bit longer in a 6-1, 6-4 win over Ava Miles as Jasmine Rawda beat Eh Hso 6-1, 6-2.
That same day, C-NS had its own successful opener, turning back Henninger 6-1 with its own doubles sweep.
Two of the matches were forfeited, but Eve Campitello and Megan Johnston won 6-0, 6-0 over Thanh Nguyen and Thanhngan Nguyen as Golden Duru and Megan Mieves beat Lauren Cameron and Kristen Nguyen by those same scores.
Up in singles, Danielle Crivelli lost, 6-1, 6-1, to Samarra Tigner, but Meghan Obleman beat Jemima Bobelabi 6-0, 6-1 as Holly Costello worked past Esraa Al Masalmeh 6-4, 6-4.
It would get tougher for C-NS as it faced Fayetteville-Manlius last Thursday, the Northstars unable to pluck a set from the Hornets in a 7-0 defeat.
Obleman was the lone singles player to pick up a game during a 6-0, 6-3 loss to Laura Scalzetti. In first doubles, Campitello and Johnston were in the closest match, yet still fell to Natalie Hugo and Katya Quinn 6-4, 6-2.
Liverpool had its own match with Henninger last Thursday and swept past the Black Knights 7-0. Between them, the singles trio of Bell, Geiwitz and Angelica Underwood lost just one game in their six combined sets.
The doubles matches were also sweeps, with Sheridan Bryerton and Olivia Valentine taking a turn and defeating Hodan Ali and Lauren Cameron 6-1, 6-3. Maiya Fitzgibbons and Ashleigh Rosen put together a 6-2, 6-2 win over Thanh Thanh Nguyen and Thanhgnan Nguyen.
A busy weekend for C-NS started with a 6-1 defeat to Central Square. Campitello, Costello and Obelman all lost singles matches in straight sets, but Duru and Mieves salvaged a point for the Northstars in doubles, beating Savannah Gunther and Arianna Smolnik 6-4, 7-5 as Johnston and Autumn Brown lost 0-6, 6-1, 6-3 to Lauren Foland and Carolyn Lederer.
Then, against West Genesee on Saturday, the Northstars again were held in check in singles and managed its only point in doubles during a 6-1 loss to the Wildcats.
Again it was Duru and Mieves breaking through, needing two close sets to turn back Calina Olson and Isabelle Wells 6-4, 7-5. Brown and Johnston had a second-set shutout, yet still lost 6-4, 0-6, 6-3 to Angelina Allen and Margaret Mello.
