After defeating Bishop Fenwick in the regular season twice by a score of 3-2 each time, the Swampscott High School girls tennis team stayed consistent, once again defeating Bishop Fenwick 3-2 on Tuesday, this time in playoff action.
With the win, the undefeated Big Blue move on to the Elite Eight of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Division 3 state tournament, where they will take on another familiar foe, Lynnfield High School, on Thursday.
Singles players Nikki Carr and Ginger Gregoire as well as the doubles team of Eve Byrne and Lilly Carr won their respective matches on Tuesday to help Swampscott win their twentieth consecutive match as a team and advance to the next round.
“We knew it was going to be a challenge,” said Head Coach Emily Cilley. “Across the board, Bishop Fenwick is very strong. I wasn’t surprised, but I was worried. I had a pit in my stomach the whole time. You never know, and when it’s that close, it can go either way. You don’t want to get too comfortable ever.”
Cilley was proud of the resilience her team showed after the match got off to a very close start. She credited Ana Eccles for keeping her head up and winning a set after not doing so in the first two matches against Bishop Fenwick.
“She was determined to get a set,” said Cilley. “She got her second set, 6-1. It was a mindset thing, getting out of your head and deciding you can do it, and I’m proud of her for that.”
Eccles, a senior, will be playing tennis at Bridgewater State University next year.
The Big Blue’s record now stands at a flawless 20-0. Cilley said the record is a testament to the talent up and down the team’s roster.
“This is my first year and I walked into these very talented girls,” said Cilley. “This is not me. This is them. I can take credit for being supportive and just cheering them on and guiding them, but it’s the girls who are doing all the hard work to get here.”
Lynnfield is next on the schedule for Swampscott, with a chance to reach the Final Four. The two teams faced off earlier in the season on April 9, with Swampscott winning 3-2.
Cilley noted that the forecast for Thursday’s match looks to be very hot and said she has already encouraged the team to start hydrating now to be prepared to not only face Lynnfield but also the elements.
“It was so tight and so exciting,” said Cilley of the April 9 matchup between Swampscott and Lynnfield. “That was the beginning. Who knew it was going to result in now this.”
The game will be held on Thursday at 2 p.m. at Lynnfield High School.
