EA edges Baldwin for Inter-Ac girls’ tennis title

Newtown Square >> In a match that featured more plot lines than an Academy Award winning movie, the girls’ tennis teams from Episcopal Academy and Baldwin School decided to add one more Oct. 17.
With daylight fading into darkness at Episcopal Academy, and the match tied at 3-3 the match between EA’s Mackenzie Lee and Natalie Johnston and Baldwin’s Berlyn Squillaro and Abby Dubinskyat No. 4 doubles provided their own edge-of-the-seat excitement that included some clutch shot making by all four players.
In the end, it was Episcopal senior Mackenzie Lee finding the open spot on a half-volley for the final point of a 6-4, 7-5 straight set win in a match that lasted nearly two hours to clinch the 4-3 victory and the Inter-Ac title.
“It means so much we (me and Natalie) were able to clinch the match for our team,” said Lee. “I knew the circumstances and knew staying calm was key. It was just another point and knew calmness was important.”
Johnston, a junior, added, “Winning the Inter-Ac meant so much. I had no idea we had won the match as a team until it was over. That definitely helped me stay calm.”
The two teams were supposed to go to head-to-head back on Sept. 25; however, Mother Nature intervened, forcing the postponement of the match thus setting the stage for a winner-take-all match.
The Bears and Churchwomen took care of business by going undefeated in league play with identical 5-0 records setting up a showdown on Oct. 15, which was once again postponed due to weather and re-scheduled for Oct. 17.
All season long EA coach Whitaker Powell has preached ‘Overcoming adversity defines character’ and that was the persona his team took to heart. With No. 2 singles player Ella Walker having to miss the match due to illness, Powell was forced to juggle his line-up at the last minute. As they have done all season, the Chuchwomen bonded together to defeat a game Baldwin squad.
“I am so proud of the effort this team has shown all season,” said Powell. “This is a special group who worked hard all season and supported each other. This championship was truly a team effort.”
Members of the championship team include Ashley Kennedy, who plays No. 1 singles; Bella Calestri, who normally plays No. 3 singles; Cara Harty and Eliza Aldridge, who play No. 1 doubles; Grace Hennigan and Caroline Burt, who play No. 2 doubles and Maddy Mitchell and Parisa Afsharian, who play No.3 doubles.
EA (14-0, 6-0) capped off a perfect season with a convincing 6-1 win over New Jersey perennial power Haddonfield Monday, getting straight set wins from all three singles (Ashley Kennedy, Ella Walker and Bella Calastri) as well as second, third and fourth doubles.
Baldwin (8-2, 5-1) has nothing to hang their heads with a strong second place Inter-Ac finish that included a second-place finish at the Inter-Ac team championships on Oct. 16.
“Before the match, I told our players in order to be a great team, we have to beat a great team,” said Baldwin coach Jeff Sacks. “We came close. We’ve already started to think about the rematch next year.”