Collectively, Mustang players 40-0 vs. opponents
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
OCEAN CITY – The Ocean City girls tennis team was able to pick up some extra games against Mainland Regional on Thursday, Oct. 15, but the Mustangs have proved an unbeatable opponent thus far this season.
The nine girls playing varsity on the Mainland tennis team have not lost a single match. That goes for first singles Khushi Thakkar, second singles Charlotte Walcoff, third singles Hannah Carson, and first doubles Anna Geubtner and Elizabeth Ong.
At second doubles, Lexi Jacob and Riley Murray have split time with Maddie Dennis and Emma Savov. Neither duo has lost a match this season.
The Mustangs are 8-0 on the season after defeating Ocean City for the second time, albeit a little closer this time around. If all the individual victories are added up, the Mustangs, collectively, are 40-0.
On Thursday, Thakkar beat Ocean City’s first singles, Charis Holmes, 6-2, 6-0, and Walcoff beat Red Raider second singles Emily Tumelty, 6-1, 6-1. At third singles, Carson defefeated Alexis Allegretto, 6-1, 6-4.
Ocean City’s first doubles, Noelle Graham and Ciera Howard, battled Ong and Geubtner in a close, three-set match, falling 3-6, 7-6, 8-10. The third set was a 10-point tie-breaker.
At second doubles, Jacob and Murray beat Ocean City’s Zoe Bourgeois and Paige Brown, 6-2, 6-4.
Mainland has been Ocean City’s toughest opponent this season. The Red Raiders are 6-2, with the only two losses coming to the Mustangs. Ocean City has defeated Wildwood Catholic twice; 5-0, Atlantic City and Lower Cape May once each, both by 4-1 scores; and shut out Middle Township, 5-0.
Ocean City coach Samantha DiMatteo was pleased with her players’ performance Thursday and so far this season, saying the girls have “settled into” their roles.
The limited playing time in the preseason gave the players on her doubles teams little opportunity to become familiar with each other, she explained. Over time, she said, they have worked together better. That showed in the scores with first doubles forcing a third set the second time around and second doubles winning six games instead of two.
DiMatteo said the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) also surprised the high school tennis world with a state team tournament with seeding that begins this week with finals by the end of next week.
With the season already limited by COVID-19 restrictions, it was unclear what tournaments, if any, would take place. DiMatteo said they found out that they would get the chance to play in the tournament.
The Ocean City girls were scheduled to host Lower Cape May at 4 p.m. today (Wednesday) and travel to Middle Township at 4 p.m. Thursday. That will wrap the shortened regular season.
The Mustangs are hosting Atlantic City at 4 p.m. Wednesday and hosting Lower Cape May at 4 p.m. Thursday.
If both teams continue their high level of play, the Mustangs can end their regular season undefeated at 10-0 and Ocean City can finish 8-2.
Mainland currently leads the East division and Ocean City and Lower Cape May are tied with their 6-2 records.