Rams Girls Tennis—Unstoppable

For the New Canaan girls tennis team, nothing could stand in the way of its pursuit for yet another state title.
 
The undefeated and top-seeded Rams coasted to a 7-0 victory over FCIAC rival Wilton in the Class M final Friday afternoon at the Yale courts to win their seventh consecutive state championship and 10th since 2000.
 
"It never gets old, I'll say that," New Canaan coach Gail Overbeck said. "We're really excited. I'm excited for the girls. There's a lot of freshmen on this team, so it's the first time for them, and it's always nice for the seniors to go out with a win."
 
The Rams won all 14 sets Friday to put the finishing touches on a 21-0 season.
 
New Canaan beat Wilton, 5-2, in the final last year, so it actually might be getting better. What's also scary for the Rams' opponents is that they graduate only one senior—Alyssa Baker—and had four freshman in the starting rotation.
 
"It's the youngest [team] I've ever had and it's just a great bunch of girls, very focused and (a) great tennis team," Overbeck added.
 
Wilton (14-7) reached the final as a No. 14 seed, but ran into a superior opponent Friday.
 
"We had good matches, but they were a little too tough for us today," Wilton coach Mike Gillespie said. 
 
Three New Canaan players have now gone the entire season without losing a match: Sophomore Courtney Gallagher, who plays No. 3 singles, and the No. 1 doubles tandem of Baker and junior Kim Glerum.
 
On Friday, Gallagher defeated freshman Maya Srivastava, 6-3, 6-2, and Baker and Glerum bested Amanda Sakamato and Amanda Ricca,  6-2, 6-4.
 
Perhaps the day's most competitive match took place at No. 1 singles, where junior Katie Mannelly downed Sara Shaughnessy, 7-5, 6-3.

New Canaan's No. 2 doubles unit—comprised of freshmen Kristin Laub and Sarah Greene—wore down Brianna Turk and Kerri Merritt, 7-5, 6-0. Sophomore Phoebe Wilks and freshman Amanda Merjen beat Elisa Amendola and Sabrina Bell, 7-5, 6-2, at the No. 3 doubles.

Caitlin Gallagher handled Meg Crampton, 6-4, 6-2, at No. 2 singles; and freshman Jensen Lee toppled Allie Schaefer, 6-4, 6-0, in the No. 5 singles.
 
"It's great," Caitlin Gallagher said, "because this is the first time we've won FCIACs and states at the same time when I was here. I'm so excited."

Although it had no affect the outcome of the match, Caitlin Gallagher had been forced to retire at 4-4 in the third set against Hand Thursday because of leg cramps. She was back on the court Friday, hours after receiving an award at New Canaan for being the top student in the school's Chinese studies program.
 
"This week has been exhausting, but every night I've been drinking a lot, recently eating bananas, and just trying to sleep a lot," Gallagher said.

Of course, there is no rest for the weary. Today, Gallagher begins the CIAC's state Open competition, along with Mannelly and the doubles' pair of Baker and Glerum. Gallagher has to be back at the Yale courts at 1 p.m., and that's after taking the SATs at New Canaan earlier in the day at 7:15 a.m.
 
"Kimmy Glerum is also doing that [taking the SATs], so I won't be the only one, but hopefully I finish in time," Gallagher said.