OCEAN CITY – The Mainland Regional girls tennis team is a perennial contender for Cape-Atlantic League and South Jersey titles. This year doesn’t look like an exception as the girls have started with a 7-0 record through Friday.
Last week, the Mustangs beat Ocean City 3-2, down their first singles player, forcing a number of shifts in the lineup.
“They’ve been doing well,” head coach Kathy Yohe said during the match against the Red Raiders. “It’s a young team. Right now there’s no senior out there.” She noted Emma Savov, who was out last year because of an injury, would return to the lineup. (Savov joined Ana Kilibarda at second doubles at the end of the week and shut out their Absegami opponents.)
At first doubles, junior Elizabeth Ong and sophomore Marlee Campbell have not only been undefeated so far this season, they have only a handful of games through last Friday, usually shutting out their opponents.
“They’ve been playing really well,” Yohe said. This is a new pairing. This is Ong’s third year on varsity and the first for Campell, who moved up from first JV after her freshman year. Ong and her past partner were second in the CAL last year and first in the CAL the year before.
“Elizabeth has some experience at doubles,” Yohe said. “They’re a good team. Last year we knew Marlee really wants to win and goes after every ball. She’s very positive.”
At first singles is sophomore Christina Htay, junior Maddie Dennis is at second singles and junior Samantha Goldberg is at third singles. Second doubles had been a pair of freshman with Kilibarda and Lily Turner, but Savov won a challenge match and now is teaming with Kilibarda.
Htay was third singles last year as a freshman. “She has been playing well. She’s a good little player. I’m happy with how she’s playing.”
“I think our lineup is pretty strong and pretty deep,” Yohe said.
Dennis is “a good second singles.” She moved up to first singles with Htay’s absence in the Ocean City match. “She’s a good athlete and is playing well.”
“Our third singles, Sam, is a wall, which is good for third singles,” the coach said. “She gets everything back. You have to beat her. She’s not going to give you much. She’s not going to hurt you, but you’re not going to get a lot of free points off of her. It’s deceptive, she doesn’t necessarily look like she’s speedy out there, but she gets to everything and gets it back. She has nice topspin and slice. She mixes it up a lot. She’s a smart player. She puts it where they’re not.”
Yohe said the team’s goals include winning the CAL and “going as far we can in the state tournament.” She added that Shawnee High School, which sports a powerful tennis team, moved into Group III this year, providing a potential added challenge to the Mustangs down the road. “We’ll go as far as we can there. To win it would be really nice, but we’ll see. That’s always our goal. We’ve been lucky. We’ve done it a few times.”
Mainland 3, Ocean City 2
At first singles, Dennis and Ocean City’s Alexis Allegretto had an absolute battle, going three sets and deep into a tie-breaker. Dennis won the first set 6-4, but Allegretto came back to win the second set, 7-6 (7-5), setting up a third-set tiebreaker. Allegretto eventually prevailed, 12-10.
At second singles, Goldberg outlasted Red Raider Taylor Pontari, 6-3, 6-4, and at third singles, Kilibarda was able to get past Mackenzee Segich, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3.
Ong and Campbell shut out Ocean City’s Chloe Howard and Daphnee Brozyna at first doubles.
At second doubles, Red Raider Claire Coffey and Claire Brooks prevailed over Turner and Jessica Wise.
Ocean City is now 3-4 on the season, with two wins over Atlantic City and one over Milllville. Two of the other matches they lost were close, 3-2, against Absegami and Vineland.
By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff