Girls Tennis Runs Into a Guilford Buzzsaw

The Branford girls’ tennis team started off the season winning three of their first four matches. They lost the first match to Sheehan by only one game (3 – 4) and then went on defeat Shelton (5 – 2), Law (6 – 1), and avenged their loss to Sheehan, 4 – 3, in their rematch.

Last Thursday, on a cool and blustery afternoon, the young Hornets knew they were going up against a conference power. The Guilford Indians came to town riding a five-game winning streak and winning all their matches by lopsided scores ranging from 7 – 0 to 5 – 2. They actually won 38 of the 42 matches played.

“We knew what we were in store for,” said Branford coach Jim Cole. ​“Last year they made it to the state finals. They have a terrific team, and we are young, so we’re only going to get better when we play teams like them.” Guilford won Thursday’s match 6 – 1.

The Indians are coming off the previous season where they finished with an 18 – 8 record and getting to the SCC semi finals before losing to Amity. Then they won four straight in the CIAC Class M state tournament before falling to SCC rival Daniel Hand 2 – 5 in the title game. Here sophomores Jessica King and Amanda Gage lost to Elaina Griffiths and Allie Stankewich.

In Thursday’s match, Branford lost all four singles matches and two of the three doubles matches. The closest the Hornets came was senior co-captain Lauren Elmsary, who played at number one, losing to Guilford’s Faren Roth, 6 – 2, 6 – 4, and sophomore Samantha Velardi, playing at number four, who was defeated by Kiera Stankewich, 6 – 2, 6 – 3. The Hornets’ only win came in doubles where sophomores Ellie Bartlett and Sara Girardi won their match, 4 – 6, 6 – 1, 10 – 6.

Here sophomore Sarah Berdon, playing at no. 2, returns a shot against Charlotte Babbin.

Here sophomore Samantha ​“Sam” Velardi hustles to the net to return a shot. She lost 6 – 2, 6 – 3.

And here Co-captain Keeley Lepre (L) and doubles partner freshman Alayna Boileau lost, 6 – 2, 6 – 0.

Co-captain Lauren Elmsary played at no. 1 and lost 6 – 2, 6 – 4 to Guilford’s Faren Roth.

Branford is a young club with only three seniors and two juniors. The rest of the team is made up of nine sophomores and three freshmen. ​“We’re getting better with each match,” said coach Cole. ​“They got the best of us on Thursday but we are looking forward to playing them again in the States at the end of the season”. Here Gianna Benni, a sophomore, serves to Guilford’s Acadia Hall.

The Hornets are on spring vacation next week and have no matches, but the following week (April 23 to 27) they are scheduled to have one each day of the week. April 23 at Hand, April 24 at Lauralton Hall, April 25 at Sacred Heart Academy, April 26 Home vs. Amity, and April 27 at West Haven.

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