Millburn Tennis Improves to 2-0

As usual the Millburn girls tennis team is off to a good start, advancing to 2-0 on Tuesday afternoon with a 5-0 victory over Villa Walsh Academy.

It was clear very early it would be Millburn's day with the local girls in the lead in all five matches through the first five games played in the opening set. At the end of the contest, most of the Miller girls barely broke a sweat en route to victory.

Senior co-captain Emily Bary and sophomore Patricia Chau were the first winners for Millburn, defeating Shelly Manning and Alexa Sarastano 6-2, 6-1 at first doubles. Jenna Berkencamp and Lauren Cohen were the next winners for the Millers, knocking off Alice Chen and Daria Donato 6-2, 6-0 at second doubles. Neither of Millburn's new-look doubles squads trailed at any point in any set. But Miller head coach Elliot Lovi said they need to improve.

"We're going to have to get a little better in doubles," he said. "We have to be more aggressive. We weren't as aggressive as I would've liked."

Tatiana Cherne made light work of Villa Walsh senior Genna Grabowy 6-1, 6-2, at third singles to clinch the winning point for Millburn. Minutes later, freshman second singles starter Maddie Stearns finished off a tough senior in Laire Mulcahy, 6-3, 6-2, putting Millburn ahead 4-0.

The most exciting match of the day had no bearing on the team result. Millburn's Alex Stone battled for a hard-fought win over sophomore Jamie Campisi at first singles.

"It was pretty hard because I had beaten her before and I guess I was the favorite coming into the match," Stone said.

After winning a tight opening set 6-4 over Campisi, Stone quickly fell behind the hard hitting sophomore 3-0 in the second set. After rebounding to hold serve and draw within two, Stone was up a triple break point on Campisi to close within one. But the Villa Walsh swinger held on and pulled out the game to go up 4-1, making a third set seem imminent.

But Stone rallied to win five consecutive games taking the set 6-4, breaking Campisi's serve twice and ending the second set comeback win on an ace which tickled the left out-of-bounds line.

"I definitely just lost my focus and she started playing better and going for more," Stone said. "I just checked back in instead of missing. I started working on my serve more."

"She raised her game. She started serving much better," Lovi said of his top starter's comeback.

Villa Walsh fell to 3-1 with the loss while Millburn looks ahead to the Millburn Tournament on Sunday at home.