MANCHESTER, NH – With a 9-0 victory over ninth-seeded Nashua North in the quarterfinals Division-I girls tennis tournament, top-ranked Derryfield extended its undefeated season Thursday.
Derryfield’s Sophia Correnti and Sophia Koshy were able to soundly defeat North’s Mary Pappas and Sanye Rane by identical 8-1 scores on the top two singles courts, while No. 3 Annabelle Crotty and No. 6 Sarina Punjabi each earned 8-0 shutouts in their respective matches against Clare Tran and Leena Srinivas.
No. 4 Charlotte Smith battled to an 8-3 victory over Caitlin Mamos and No. 5 Polak Jankowska was triumphant over Brielle Baxter, 8-2.
On the doubles court, Correnti and Smith were tested by Pappas and Rane but gritted out an 8-5 win, while Koshy and Crotty cruised to an 8-1 win on the second court and Jankowska teamed with Lucy Yakola for an 8-0 shutout in the third doubles match.
With the decisive quarterfinal victory, the Cougars (15-0) advanced to the state semifinals where they’ll face fourth-seeded Exeter (12-3) Monday at 4 p.m. at the Derryfield School tennis courts.
Though Derryfield has finished runner-up in three of the last four Division-I tournaments, including the last two, the team is hungry for its first championship since 2017, said longtime head coach Gustavo Moral.
While acknowledging the talent his team has featured on the court the last few seasons, Moral said this year’s group stands out in more ways than its undefeated record.
“I think, frankly, our depth goes all the way down to No. 8,” he said. “And the other (difference) is attitude. I think the team has the right mentality, the right focus to take in everything that’s happening, in context, at that moment in time. They’re not taking anything for granted. They’re fighting for everything, they’re preparing for everything, and they’re focused and serious, so if I had to encapsulate it in one word, I would say, ‘attitude.'”
Nashua North head coach Bob Viens has seen many of the top teams around the state and labeled Derryfield his favorite to win it all this season.
“I don’t think there’s anybody that can beat them,” said Viens, who noted the three other teams remaining in the tournament – Exeter, second-ranked Bedford, and two-time defending champ Dover – are all still dangerous foes that can push Derryfield in a full team match.
“(The Cougars) are well coached, they know how to train,” he said. “Gus runs a great program.”
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