Harriton Girls' Tennis Headed To States Again

The girls’ tennis team is fully aware of what they're lugging with them to Hershey Park this weekend. It’s as valuable as a precious gem, an heirloom passed from team to team the last seven years. This version of the Rams wants to make sure they’re not the ones who drop the jewel they’ve been entrusted with.

The first step of their journey to protecting that came on Tuesday, when the Lady Rams made rather easy work of PIAA District 12 champion Masterman, winning all five matches (three singles, two doubles competitions), at the Arthur Ashe Tennis Complex in Manayunk.

Harriton is going for its eighth straight PIAA Class AA state team tennis championship at the Hershey Racquet Club on Friday. The Rams are advancing thanks to victories from singles players Hannah Drayton, Rachel Benstock and Marni Blumenthal, and the doubles teams of Renee Simms and Jenny White, and Samantha Krouse and Rachel Heffler.

The Rams lost a total of five games—winning each match in straight sets by winning 60 games to five. That's how dominating Harriton was.

“Through the years, we’ve lost good people and always replaced them with good people,” said Drayton, a junior. “I think what helps us is that we go in fresh every year. We forget the seven straight [state] titles. Personally, this will be my third time [at states], and I’ve gotten comfortable with every situation. Tennis is the kind of sport where you can mess up and you have a hundred more chances to do it right.”

As a freshman, this will be Benstock’s first trip to the state finals.

“I’ll be a little nervous, but I’m always a little nervous until I step out on the court,” Benstock said. “We’ve won the state title, and it is about the team and not letting anyone down.”

The most experienced of anyone is Blumenthal. She’s been on the Rams since she was a freshman, and all of her high school tennis experience has been about winning the state title.

“It is kind of scary, I have to admit,” Blumenthal said. “It’s scary because you don’t want to be the team that losses the streak. You want to keep it going. We’re all aware [Harriton’s] won seven straight titles. It’s always in my head, in a good way. It gives you a lot of motivation, to keep up that tradition—that’s what keeps you motivated. It makes you feel good knowing you play for a great team.”