By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
OCEAN CITY – Samantha DiMatteo has options.
The Ocean City High School tennis coach, entering her 14th season, has three top singles players each as good as the other and six quality doubles players for her four varsity spots.
After an outstanding 2020 season – the team’s nemesis was unbeaten Mainland Regional – the Red Raiders return six varsity starters, albeit in some shuffled positions.
Ocean City’s third seed from last year, Alexis Allegretto, takes over the first singles spot from Charis Holmes, who will be third singles this season. A freshman new to the district, Catherine Stempin quickly fought her way up the ladder to the No. 2 singles spot.
“It’s interesting because any girl on any given day – my one, two and three – my first can beat my second, my second can beat my third and my third can beat my one,” DiMatteo said. “They’re so closely matched that offers a lot of depth for our singles players, which is an advantage for the season. I hope that plays out well for us.”
“Beyond that, we have depth in doubles,” she added. “I have six doubles players in contention for four spots. And they’re all equally as good as each other. It’s a good problem to have, the amount of returning players from last year’s season.”
She notes Mainland is going to be tough to beat again, as is Egg Harbor Township, which downed Ocean City Sept. 8 in the season opener.
Allegretto is a sophomore. “She came out as a freshman last year and earned the third seed on the team,” the coach said. “She also plays basketball and she has been training, fitness wise, with the basketball team in the offseason and playing a lot of tennis. Between her conditioning and extra time on the court, she has really made a name for herself this year and climbed to No. 1.”
Stempin, at No. 2, “is new to the district and we are certainly happy to have her. She has challenged her way right up the ladder and is currently seeded second on the team. She is doing fabulous. She is an excellent player and plays lefty. That’s always nice,” DiMatteo said. “Everyone is used to playing someone with a right-handed serve and right-handed everything. So it’s nice to have a lefty.”
“She’s super consistent, and we’re just happy to have her on the team. She’s never going to give up on us. She’s a great second seed,” DiMatteo said.
Holmes moved from first to third, but that just shows how strong all three singles players are, the coach said.
“You may think her being third perhaps she’s the weaker of the three, but she’s not. All their (challenge) matches where 4-6, 6-4, three-setters, tie-breakers. So across the board they’re quite even. Having someone as strong as our second and as strong as our first at third singles is an advantage for us,” DiMatteo said. “I expect great things from her this season. She’s going to have a great year and making a name for her in that position.”
Seniors Paige Brown and Liz Drain are at first doubles. “Liz was eighth (on the depth roster) for me last year and was right there on varsity and is currently seeded ninth this year, but … she is a strong doubles player. She’s strong at the net and has great groundstrokes. She has great potential as a varsity player.”
DiMatteo said like singles, on any given day her first, second and third doubles can beat each other so who is playing could change over the course of the season. “They’re great kids. They really work well together.”
Noelle Graham and Ciera Howard are back at second doubles. “They’re an asset,” the coach said. “They’re familiar with playing with each other. That’s the best thing for doubles is to have two girls who get along and are familiar with each other’s techniques.”
The two other potential varsity players are Zoe Bourgeois, who played with Brown last year, and Taylor Pontari. Pontari is actually fifth on the depth roster overall based on individual challenge matches, but the coach said Drain and Brown have proved to be a stronger match as a doubles pair.
“Taylor and Zoey are assets who will we use throughout the season. You never know who will show up with our doubles. It’s really nice to have a lot of depth.”
As always, DiMatteo said, the goal is to win the conference and the division, but most of all she wants her team to be competitive with the other strong teams in the Cape-Atlantic League.
“My base goal is always to be a at least a .500 team. I’ve been here 14 years and I’ve never had a team that was less than .500 so I’d like to keep that going,” she said, acknowledging the team’s record often has been much better than that.
“I just like good tennis,” she said during last week’s match against EHT. “Like today, everything is tight and the girls are playing excellent tennis. It’s fun to watch and be a part of. I’m happy to see good tennis no matter how it goes.”
Egg Harbor Township 4, Ocean City 1
First singles, Jamie Theophall (EHT) defeated Alexis Allegretto, 6-3, 6-3
Second singles, Lauren Theophall (EHT) defeated Catherine Stempin 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
Third singles, Charis Holmes (OC) defeated Tiffany Tran, 5-7, 6-4
First doubles, Emma Lynch, Payton Colbert (EHT) defeated Liz Drain, Paige Brown, 6-0, 6-1
Second doubles, Ema Cadacio, Leona Lam (EHT) defeated Noelle Graham, Ciera Howard, 6-4, 6-0.