SPAULDING GIRLS TENNIS DEFEATS U-32, 5-2

BARRE – Thursday’s season-opening girls tennis match was far from a sprint for either Spaulding or Harwood, with the Crimson Tide grinding out a 5-2 victory in 3 hours, 30 minutes. “I’d only beaten Harwood once in seven years, so I smiled and did a little jig in private once I got to the car,” Spaulding coach Kelly Cleveland said. Lizzie Tchantouridze was a trooper for Spaulding at No. 1 singles, upsetting one of the state’s premier players with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Abbie Barker. “Lizzie has been working very hard this winter,” Cleveland said. “She had a private coach she was working with up at First in Fitness, and she and Abbie come up against each other here and there. I have a feeling when we come around and play Abbie again, she’s going to be ready because they tend to go back and forth.” Whitney Renaud earned a straight-set victory at No. 2 singles and teammate Randi Dudley rallied to a 3-6, 6-2, 10-4 victory at the No. 3 spot. “Randi is a good athlete,” Cleveland said. “And sticking her at No. 3, this is what she’s good at. She may be down in the first set but she always comes back with a smile. I always call her my comeback kid.” Harwood spoiled Spaulding’s singles success with victories by Emma McGeorge at No. 4 and Claire McGeorge at No. 5. At No. 1 doubles, Spaulding’s Alex Marek and Maddy Pletzer dug deep while serving up a 3-6, 7-6(2) 10-6 victory. “ They haven’t played together a lot, but they talked well,” Cleveland said. “They had a few butterflies at the beginning and they were looking at each other going, ‘Oops, oops – what am I doing wrong?’ But they started moving together well and doing a lot of chit-chatting, so I was really pleased.” The action at No. 2 doubles was almost as close, with Spaulding’s Megan Brier and Chloe Lamphere prevailing 7-6(1), 7-5. “I’ve seen great improvement in all the girls,” Cleveland said. “My two freshmen on the team are both athletes and they’ve come a long ways just since preseason, so we’re looking pretty good. We went up to North Country and had to stop because of the weather, so to have Harwood was a tough way to start the season. But hopefully the butterflies are out and we can move forward.” Spaulding (1-0) will travel to play BFA-St. Albans at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. Harwood (0-1) will host Stowe at 3:30 p.m. Monday. SINGLES Lizzie Tchantouridze (S) def. Abbie Barker 6-2, 6-3 Whitney Renaud (S) def. Anna Fortier 6-4, 6-1 Randi Dudley (S) def. Eve Golden 3-6, 6-2, 10-4 Emma McGeorge (H) def. Kelsey Nolan 6-1, 7-5 Claire McGeorge (H) def. Faith Redmond 6-2, 6-3 DOUBLES Alex Marek and Maddy Pletzer (S) def. Abigail Burfoot and Rose Kaufmann 3-6, 7-6(2) 10-6 Megan Brier and Chloe Lamphere (S) def. Sally Read and Marcella Grimaldi 7-6(1), 7-5

SPAULDING GIRLS TENNIS DEFEATS U-32, 5-2

Photo Credit: U-32 Athletics

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