Islanders ice Townies' hopes of girls' tennis title repeat

Top-seeded Middletown beats East Providence in Division III semis

By Mike Rego
Posted 10/27/17

BARRINGTON — East Providence High School’s defense of its Division III girls’ tennis title came to an end with a 4-2 loss to top-seeded Middletown in the semifinals of the league playoffs …

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Islanders ice Townies' hopes of girls' tennis title repeat

Top-seeded Middletown beats East Providence in Division III semis

Posted

BARRINGTON — East Providence High School’s defense of its Division III girls’ tennis title came to an end with a 4-2 loss to top-seeded Middletown in the semifinals of the league playoffs Friday afternoon, Oct. 27, at the Barrington High School courts.

For the fourth-seeded Townies, who defeated Classical a year ago in the final, their fall comes to an end with an overall record of 15-4. EPHS defeated Rogers, 4-2, in the quarterfinals two days earlier. The Islanders, who beat Scituate in their quarter, improved to 18-1. Middletown, which defeated the Townies 5-2 in their lone regular season meeting, advances to the D-III championship Saturday morning, Oct. 28, at Slater Park.

“I knew that doubles would have a tough time because we lost to them last time (5-2), so I was just hoping we could get the first four (singles),” said Jess Costello, the Townies’ No. 3 singles player.

The Islanders clinched the overall victory with a three-set win at first doubles. Earlier, Middletown won outings at second doubles, first singles and fourth singles. The Islanders were also up a set at third doubles, the only remaining match underway when first doubles earned the deciding point.

The Townies two points came from Costello and Lillian Conti at third and second singles, respectively. Costello beat Mackenzie Silveiram 6-3, 6-2. Conti defeated Michelle Aldazabal, 2-and-2. Each of the EPHS seniors were firmly in control of their matches throughout.

For Costello, she finished her second season in a row unbeaten. Last year, she paired with Rachael LaValley at second doubles to go 17-0. This fall, Costello went 19-0 from the third solo spot.

“I was actually nervous. Me and her (Silveiram) are really, really close. I knew I just had to work hard to beat her,” Costello said of her match Friday.

Of going unbeaten for a second year in a row, she added, “It feels great. That was my goal, to go undefeated. I loved playing singles. It was so much better. I like to be in control of the court by myself.”

In losing her outing at first singles to Alex Pratt, 2-and-1, Townies’ senior Mary McBride struggled with her first serve, which seemed to play an important role in the match.

Meanwhile, Conti and Costello, as is their wont, played their typical all-court games, moving their opponents up and back, side to side to keep them off-balance.

East Providence sophomore Meg Amore and her Middletown opponent Regan McEnroe were actually hitting the best groundstrokes of the singles players in their match at No. 4, but the latter was more consistent and precise en route to winning in straights. Amore lost 6-2, 7-5, rallying in the second to force the issue a bit.

In doubles, the Townies No. 2 tandem of seniors Rose Lawrence-Madison Turner never appeared to really find a rhythm in losing in two sets, 4-and-0, to Middletown’s Olivia Banister-Amy Flynn, the first match off the court.

At first dubs, the E.P. duo of Raissa Luu and Emily Ramsey rallied to win the first set, 3-6, and had the match on their racquet in the second, but the Middletown tandem of Anna Holden-Hannah Nasser answered late to win the second, 6-4, then won the third with relative ease, 6-2.

“We had a great season. I knew we would be at least top five,” said Costello, who said she hopes to continue her tennis career next fall in college. “I was hoping we would get another (championship) jacket, but, hey, we still have one.”

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.