CENTRAL NEW YORK – Some of the toughest matches the Cazenovia girls tennis team had to face came before school even started.
Having split its first two contests (including a 4-3 defeat to Skaneateles), the Lakers met Christian Brothers Academy on Sept. 1 and was held to a single point as it lost to the Brothers 6-1.
Kate Williams and Candace Webb prevented the shutout, going out in doubles and, in straight set, toppling Jane Walsh and Monica Fallon 6-4, 6-3.
But the teams of Rachel Molloy-Grace Probe, Erin Kuhn-Nora Bell and Ava Dalton-Leah Berg each lost in two sets, Dalton and Berg falling 6-3, 6-3 to Clare Schaefer and Maddie Kanerviko.
Up in singles, Cazenovia had to forfeit a match, yet also saw Madden Cobb fall to Giselle Vlassis 6-0, 6-0 as Kiana Vazquez had a 6-2, 6-0 defeat to Rowan Doyle.
Back in action last Tuesday against Pulaski, the Lakers returned to the win column, prevailing 6-1 as, in singles, Cobb, Vazquez and Molloy lost just one game in six combined sets.
Berg paired with Bell to beat June Laoenena and Maggie Enel 6-2, 6-1, while Kuhn combined with Grace Probe to defeat Patiena Ingirson and Brooklyn Fiumans 6-1, 6-0.
Before and after heavy late-August rains, Cazenovia and Chittenango set off on their respective 2022 campaigns, each of them facing Skaneateles.
Cazenovia’s match on Aug. 30 was an early Laker duel, and both sides found success – but a doubles match proved decisive in what turned out to be a 4-3 defeat.
All of Cazenovia’s points came from doubles, where Kuhn and Nora Bell beat Bella Karpinski and Caitlyn Day 6-4, 6-2 as Katie Williams and Cady Webb topped Bryn Butler and Emma Decker 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.
When Molloy and Probe rallied in three sets for a 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory over Isabelle Soderberg and Eva DeJesus in first doubles, Cazenovia was one point from victory.
Having forfeited a singles point and seeing Cobb and Vazquez each lose in two sets, Ava Dalton and Leah Berg got their match to a third set, but could not quite topple Emma Whipple and Kate Kissel in a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 defeat.
This followed Chittenango’s own match against Skaneateles in last Tuesday’s more humid conditions, the Bears unable to earn a point in a 7-0 defeat.
Two of the doubles matche s went to three sets. Anna Spencer and Savannah Drake led Soderberg and DeJesus early, but could not hold on to it in a 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 loss.
Hailey Reed and Emily Gushea fell to Whipple and Kissel 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 as, up in singles, Sarah McKillid, Maddy Douglas and Evelynn Keuille all lost in two sets.
