PAWTUCKET — On Saturday, the focus was on creating a lasting girls tennis legacy at La Salle.
That was the goal for the program’s eight seniors as they competed at Slater Park. Securing their 10th consecutive Division I title was the key, and the Rams rose to the occasion on a pleasant autumn afternoon.
They quickly earned their first three team points, all within 90 seconds. Samantha Holoubek and Emily Roye sealed the deal at No. 2 doubles, helping La Salle secure a 4-1 victory over North Kingstown.
“Each year has been special,” said No. 1 singles player Bridget Casey. “But this year, as seniors, we wanted to leave a lasting impact on La Salle tennis. I hope we were able to do that for the underclassmen.”
Casey, No. 2 singles player Arianna DeThomas, and the No. 1 doubles team of Eliza Barker-Alisha Chowdhry all won their matches in straight sets. North Kingstown earned a team point at No. 3 doubles through Bridget McPhillips-Olivia Soucy, delaying the Ram’s celebration. However, Holoubek and Roye secured a 6-4, 6-3 triumph to clinch the victory for La Salle.
“They always have confidence in themselves,” said La Salle coach Tom Martin. “And they genuinely enjoy each other’s company. They bring enthusiasm to practice every day.
“I kept telling them, ‘Enjoy it. Have fun. You have eight seniors on the team.’ The most important thing was to savor this final year together, and they certainly did that.”
La Salle had good reason to be optimistic. Barker and Chowdhry were the state doubles champions, and DeThomas was the state singles runner-up. Casey, as a senior playing in her last high school match, was well-acquainted with this stage. She and DeThomas only dropped a total of seven games, while Barker and Chowdhry battled through a tight first set to secure a 7-5, 6-0 victory.
“We were all thrilled to be competing at the same time,” said Casey. “To experience it and see No. 2 doubles win was truly special.”
The Rams (15-0) only gave up five team points throughout the season, with three of those coming in a close 4-3 win over Barrington on October 12th. However, it was their seemingly effortless 7-0 victory over North Kingstown (13-2) that caught Martin’s attention. The Skippers posed a threat to a program that has now won 138 consecutive matches and 12 out of the last 13 team titles.
“We kept looking over our shoulders, knowing they were right there with us the entire time,” Martin said. “They had a tremendously successful season.”
North Kingstown eliminated Barrington 4-2 in the semifinals and reached their first championship round since 2005. The Skippers were the Division II runners-up that year, and they made significant progress from a 3-12 season in 2021.
“Every opponent is different,” Casey said. “We just aim to do our best and give it our all on that day.”
La Salle 4, North Kingstown 1
Bridget Casey, LS, def. Audrey Paxton, 6-1, 6-3; Arianna DeThomas, LS, def. Kate Maloney, 6-1, 6-2; Eliza Barker-Alisha Chowdhry, LS, def. Rudy Bigda-Candace Zangari, 7-5, 6-0; Samantha Holoubek-Emily Roye, LS, def. Hannah Fries-Add
Jessica Roberts serves up the latest in the world of tennis. With a love for the racket sport, she reports on tennis matches, player rankings, and Grand Slam events, ensuring readers stay informed about the tennis world.
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