CENTRAL NEW YORK – Though not quite matching the dominant efforts of their spring counterparts on the boys side, the Cazenovia girls tennis team is among the best in the Onondaga High School League Liberty division.
And the Lakers’ 2024 season started with an impressive victory against Homer, keyed by claiming all of the singles points on the way to defeating the Trojans 5-2.
Leah Bell’s 6-4, 6-0 win over Mackenzie Skodzinsky got it rolling, while Madden Cobb battled in two sets past Ginny Park 7-5, 7-5 and, in third singles, Nora Berg turned back Sunny Park in a pair of 6-3 sets.
Claire Vaccaro and Katie Williams dominated in doubles against Isabelle Brown and Aubrey McGrath 6-1, 6-1, with Bailey Burns and Claire Henry handling Lucy Goodwin and Emma Dart 6-3, 6-2. Ava Galton and Emma Campagna lost in straight sets as, in three sets, Audrey Henry and Annabelle Spinelli fell to Elizabeth McCloy and Cathelijne Van der Plujm 1-6, 6-0, 7-6 (11-9).
In the Lakers’ second match of the season on Friday, it faced Mexico and improved on what it did against Homer, earning a 7-0 shutout over the Tigers.
Cobb, in first singles, roared past Jessica Hill 6-0, 6-2, with Lila Campagna handling Morgan Benton 6-1, 6-2 and, in third singles, Galton winning 6-0, 6-1 over Addison LaRue.
Burns and Henry played the closest doubles match, beating Gabrielle Bickford and Kylee Seymour 6-3, 6-4 as Bell and Berg paired up to win 6-4, 6-1 over Kinzy Laffan and Nataleigh Smith.
Vaccaro and Williams made it two in a row topping Isabella Ladd and Mackenzie Hopp 6-3, 6-0, while Willa Jubelt and Charlotta Rushing got a turn, earning a point by beating Kassondra Nuzzo and Lillian Haynes 6-2, 6-1.
A big week of three matches looms for the Lakers, taking on Christian Brothers Academy Wednesday in between facing Westhill and Cortland, all of them on the road.
Chittenango also got underway Wednesday afternoon, against Manlius Pebble Hill, with the Bears picking off points in both singles and doubles but still falling to the Trojans in another 5-2 decision.
Natalie Fox won in singles 6-0, 6-3 over Audrey Arnold, but Evelyn Keville and Molly Uryniak both fell in two sets – Keville 6-1, 6-0 to Amitees Fazelli, Uryniak 6-0, 6-2 to Jenny He.
Margaret Geer and Jeannie Gomez kept MPH from a doubles sweep with a 6-0, 6-0 shutout of Eleanor Spak and Sarah Ma, and Chittenango nearly got a third point but saw Campbell Reed and Hope Rock fall to Sophia Dowhy and Nia Lewis 6-4, 1-6, 10-3.
In its trio of matches next week, the Bears take on Oneida Monday before getting Skaneateles Thursday and Marcellus on Friday.
