OCEAN CITY – The Ocean City High School girls tennis team has a lot of new faces in different places. They opened the season with a 3-2 victory over Atlantic City, led by one of the veterans, first singles Alexis Allegretto.
“We had 14 graduating seniors last year so we have a lot of girls who are brand new positions in varsity, or for the first time playing singles. It’s certainly going to be an interesting start to the season because so many of the girls are in new roles,” head coach Samantha DiMatteo said.
“I’m confident that we’re competitive regardless of our situation … and that once our girls get their feet wet we’re going to have a strong season.”
The coach expects tough matches against the top players like Egg Harbor Township and Mainland, but said the rest of the league also had a lot of graduating players as well “so I think we’re all in the same boat. It should be interesting and competitive. I’m looking forward to it.”
Allegretto, a junior, is back in the No. 1 singles spot.
Second singles is Catherine Stempin, a sophomore who played that role last year.
At third singles is Taylor Pontari, a senior who played a mix of varsity and JV doubles last year. “Now she has climbed her way to third singles. She should do quite well there,” DiMatteo said.
“After that we have a lot of JV players making their first appearance” on varsity, she added.
The coach said there are about six girls in the running for the four varsity slots at first and second doubles. “All have their own strengths, though right now we’re tweaking who the best doubles pairs are.”
Going into the opening match against the Vikings last week, DiMatteo said the expected lineup has Mackenzee Segich (who bumped up to third singles against A.C. because Sempin wasn’t available), who is the fourth seed on the team. The fifth seed is Chloe Howard, followed by Claire Coffey and Daphne Brozyna, and then Claire Brooks at the eighth seed.
“They are all in the running for doubles positions,” she said. “We’ve had a lot of challenge matches and we’re going to see what the best lineup is during a real match. That’s where we’re at.”
Against Atlantic City, Allegretto won 6-2, 6-1, Pontari, at second singles, fell in a tiebreaker 6-3, 6-6 (5-7); and Segich lost 6-1, 6-2.
At doubles, Howard and Brozyna won their first doubles match 6-1, 6-1; and Coffey and Brooks won 6-0, 6-1.
With all the changes on the team, DiMatteo said her goal – as always – is to be at least .500 “at the very minimum.” (Her teams regularly surpass .500 by far.)
“Fourteen seasons in with me coaching, and every year it’s been at least .500 so I would like to maintain that,” she said. Last year her team finished 13-5.
“Beyond that, I’d love to come out strong and get a good seed for states. It’s nice to have the higher seed when you begin at states. You have your home court advantage as a goal,” DiMatteo said. “The CAL (Cape-Atlantic League) will be competitive this year. I’d like to see some good tennis. That’s my ultimate goal. It’s a lot of fun when the matches are tight. It’s a lot of stress, too, but if you win one way 5-0, or lose one way 5-0, it doesn’t make for really good tennis. I love tight matches and it’s 2-2 and it comes down to that last final point. That keeps us on the edge of our seat. I look forward to seeing some of those types of matches this year. I definitely think they’re coming.
The Ocean City girls lost their second match of the season to EHT by a 4-1 score. Allegretto, at first singles, won her match with a first-set tiebreaker 7-6 (8-6), but took the second set 6-1.
Segich and Howard kept it really close but the Eagles duo prevailed 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff