The Lexington High School girls’ tennis team improved to 10-3 on the season after a 5-0 home sweep against Watertown High School (0-12) on Friday.
“I’d like it to be 13-0,” ninth-year LHS coach Bob O’Neill said, laughing.
Earlier in the season Lexington lost to Winchester 4-1, to non-league opponent Andover 3-2 and to Burlington 3-2, O’Neill said.
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In Friday’s match, the story of the day was Lexington senior Alison Marqusee. A junior varsity player, Marqusee was inserted into the Minutemen’s varsity lineup as part of the No. 2 doubles teams with Caroline DiNapoli. They faced and defeated Watertown’s Maddy Rimsa and Emma Day.
“(Marqusee is) a junior varsity player, but we like to give everybody a chance to play a varsity match,” O’Neill said. “We discussed it a day ago and I wanted her to play, get a varsity match in, so we put her in and she won. What else can you ask for?”
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Marqusee and DiNapoli beat Rimsa and Day in a third set tiebreaker, 5-7, 6-1, (7-1), to polish off a marathon, two-hour match.
The junior varsity player was cheered on by teammates sitting on the grass beside the court. Despite swinging at air some of the time, Marqusee kept hitting, serving and diving to make big plays.
“Alison was awesome. She was terrific. I couldn’t believe it,” said O'Neill. “I kind of thought that she had the ability and her opponents weren’t easy. And to win that third set tiebreaker, it was just remarkable. They’re great kids.”
In first singles, sophomore Natalia Pronchick defeated Watertown’s Marissa Barbato, 6-2, 6-0. “Natalia is a tough player,” said O’Neill.
Freshman Michelle Katzelnik took Watertown’s Melina Kapotsis in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0, in second singles of the day.
“They’re very close together in ability,” O’Neill said of Pronchick and Katzelnik. “They’re both very talented players and they’re great to have on the team. And they’re great kids to boot. You can’t go wrong with that."
Lexington kept on swinging and in first doubles, as Sarah Macklis and Malou Bromberg earned the 6-1, 6-0 victory against Watertown’s Angela Harrington and Majda Abbas.
Then, Lexington senior captain Lucia Berger finished off Watertown’s Ariana Zito-Wolf in third singles, earning a 6-2, 6-1 win.
“She’s a tiger,” O’Neill said, of Berger. “The ball just keeps going back and eventually the other team wilts. She was a junior captain and obviously a senior now. And she’s a great kid.”
Next up, Lexington takes on Stoneham High School today, May 7. The two were originally scheduled to play on April 19, but the match was postponed due to inclement weather. The makeup will kicked off at 10 a.m.
