PAWTUCKET — Westerly was too balanced, too experienced and had its eye on a title from the start.
That’s a potent formula to end a 21-year title drought for the girls tennis program. And the Bulldogs rode that desire for a championship season into Saturday’s Division II championship vs Prout at Slater Park.
Undefeated against league play this year, and only falling to D-I’s Narragansett, Westerly capped off an impressive fall with a 4-1 triumph against the Crusaders.
“We have a majority of seniors and it feels nice that we won,” Westerly’s Virginia Royce said. “This is probably the last year we might have a chance at it, so I’m really happy that we won this. We’ve worked really hard all season.”
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Top singles player, and sophomore, Royce, sealed the top-seeded Bulldogs (18-1) banner-raising season with a 6-3, 6-2 win. Westerly stormed to a 2-0 advantage, and nearly swept the doubles matches as Margaret Scanapieco and Simone Hackett finished with a 6-1, 6-1 win.
Then Westerly took the No. 3 doubles match, 6-0, 6-4, behind Katelyn Arnold and Macey Garafola’s excellence.
“Once we started winning in the beginning and our coaches, they always believe in us, but they really believed in us this year,” Royce said of when Westerly knew it had a special season. “They said you guys can win this. And once we beat Prout the first time, we knew that was our biggest competition and that since we beat them, we could win.”
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Addison Serra seized the No. 4 singles match, 6-1, 6-2, to put Westerly on cruise control up 3-0.
No. 2 Prout (15-4) held off the sweep winning the second doubles match with Caitlin Tadamala and Olivia Lemay leading the Crusaders. But with the top singles match still to finish, it was too late for a comeback.
“I remember the first day four years ago, I told these kids that I was going to see them at their best and their worst,” Westerly coach, Terence McAndrew said. “It’s only fitting in their last go that I saw them at their best.”
Royce finished off the cool day in Pawtucket and was promptly stormed by her teammates.
“I didn’t even realize,” Royce said of the final point. “I heard a stampede coming my way and it hit me that we just won the whole thing.
“It feels great. It’s going to be so good to go back to school Monday. All the teachers are going to be cheering us on and we’re going to have a banner in the gym forever.”
Westerly 4, Prout 1
Singles – Virginia Royce, W, def. Mia Renzulli, 6-3, 6-2; Addison Serra, W, def. Ava Pickett, 6-1, 6-2; Doubles – Margaret Scanapieco/Simone Hackett, W, def. Sierra Redfern/Athanasia Stefanopoulos, 6-1, 6-1; Caitlin Tadamala/Olivia Lemay, P, def. Madison Mankoff/Mia Urso, 6-2, 6-2; Katelyn Arnold/Macey Garafola, W, def. Maddie Wilkinson/Ellie Grimm, 6-0, 6-4.
jrousseau@providencejournal.com
On X: @ByJacobRousseau
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Westerly girls tennis raced to its first title in 21 years vs. Prout
