Friday night, September 13, Girls’ Varsity Tennis faced Clarence in rival territory. Unfortunately, the girls fought in the Clarence match to a tie.
With the score of the matches being all tied up, 2-2, it came down to the girls’ second doubles team, Georgina Merry (junior) and Ella Smith (senior). The set score was 1-1, and Clarence was pulling ahead by only one game. However, the sun set rapidly, and the Clarence courts don’t have lights; this cost both teams severely. As Orchard Park was pulling ahead, the Clarence coach called it off for lack of light, demanding they finish the match the next time the two schools go head-to-head.
In response to the challenging meeting between the rivals, Head Coach Chris Horgan expressed respect for their opponent. “Clarence is a good tennis program, and it should be no surprise that this match would be difficult, but I have faith in my team,” he said.
When Merry was asked about her mentality on the court, she said, “I take it point by point. I don’t think of any outcomes or external pressures.” She added, “I think our teams are pretty similar and competitive, but our best playing is better than their best playing.”
“Going forward, I believe that we can beat them, but we need to bring more consistency to the court,” said Merry’s partner Ella Smith.
Leah Banes, the first doubles on the team, agreed: “Our team has a lot of talented players, but we could be so much more successful in matches if we improved our consistency,” she said when asked how they might improve for the next match.
Come out and support the Orchard Park Girls Varsity Tennis team and follow them on Instagram @OPGirlsVarsityTennis to learn more about matches and to stay updated.
