Wildcats fall to Masco in First Contest of the Season

The girls' tennis team seemed to be outmatched against Masconomet Regional High School on Friday afternoon at home to start their season, falling 5-0 to a program that is known for being a league powerhouse. 

"Although you do not see it in the scores I saw a lot of improvement in the girls today.  We played one of the top teams in the league," said Wilmington coach Kevin Welch.

Senior co-captain Kelly Duffy tried her luck against Masco's Mia Farnham at first singles, but found herself struggling against the Chieftains' number one ace. She dropped the contest, 6-1, 6-0.

Sophomore Katie Richardson could not seem to get in a rhythm against junior Melanie Flaherty. Flaherty dominated the match, 6-0, 6-0.

"I am proud of the way the girls handled themselves today," said Welch. " None of the girls gave up on themselves, they remained positive for the entire match." 

The first doubles team of Alyssa Fiorentio and Melanie Flaherty took on Danielle Dunn and Lexi Palumbo, and also wound up with a similar outcome to their singles teammates. They dropped the contest without getting on the board, 6-0, 6-0.

Junior Sabrina Mirabella and Julia Carter faired a bit better against their opponents, but still lost the match-up, 6-1, 6-2. 

Despite the loss, the young squad remained composed throughout the match. The team lost many players to graduation the previous year, but Welch still has high hopes for the season and is already seeing positive things happening on the court. 

"If they continue to practice and play hard they will see improvement," he said.

Next up, the Wildcats will take on North Andover on the road the Monday after school vacation at 3:30 p.m. The Scarlet Knights are typically a strong team, and Welch thinks it will be a promising challenge for his squad.

"We have had some success over the few years but they are returning a strong team.  It should be a good test for the girls to see how they respond after a week without matches," said Welch.