After nearly two hours of serving, running and battling under the sun on Thursday afternoon, Swampscott High School senior Ana Eccles won a point to not only clinch victory in her own match, but to send the Big Blue to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Division 3 state semifinals, the Final Four.
“She was able to lock it in today,” said Cilley. “She was down at first in the first set, then she came back and then handedly won the second set.”
The 6th Seed Big Blue took down 3rd Seed Lynnfield High School on the road, 4-1. Along with Eccles, singles players Ginger Gregoire and Nikki Carr won, as well as the doubles team of Eve Byrne and Lilly Carr.
Shortly after winning, the team held up a trophy and banner awarded for their run to the Final Four. Now, just one match stands between the Big Blue and a chance to compete for a state championship title.
“I’m just completely thrilled,” said Head Coach Emily Cilley. “Gobsmacked. We came here with an open mind. Lynnfield is very strong. We pulled it off by a tinge last time.”
The two teams met early on in the season in a match that resulted in a narrow 3-2 victory for the Big Blue.
Cilley said she had heard from Lynnfield’s coach that the lineup they were putting out would look a little different than it was in the previous matchup.
“We come into every match with an open slate and not knowing what we’re up against,” said Cilley. “It’s better for the girls to just go in and play their best and not know.”
Swampscott will move on to face the winner of Dover-Sherborn High School and Old Rochester Regional High School in the next round. The match will likely take place early next week.
“It’s so exciting,” Cilley said after the win. “It’s like they’re my own kids, like my children. I’m just so excited for them, this is so amazing for them. As far as I know, we haven’t gone this far in girls tennis in Swampscott.”
The win moves Swampscott’s record to 21-0 on the season.
“This group of girls, they’re just so nice and deserving and talented and they worked hard to get here so I’m very proud of them,” Cilley said.
Along with facing Lynnfield, the Big Blue also went against the elements. Spectators and parents set up shop in the shade around the courts as the sun beamed down on the players.
“I was telling them ‘hydrate, hydrate, hydrate’ all day yesterday” said Cilley. “We wanted to make sure they were getting enough fluids. We brought ice bags, water and the parents are great about bringing snacks.”
Cilley said players had each other’s back, leading the team to the Final Four.
“There is constant support for one another from court to court,” said Cilley.
An extraordinary amount of team depth and flexibility have helped the Big Blue maintain their unblemished record for over two months.
“To have a very strong lineup all the way through is not normal I think for most teams,” said Cilley. “Most everybody has a weakness, but I don’t think that we necessarily have a solid weakness. And they’re versatile, they can play different positions. They can jump around if they have to. We haven’t had to do that very much. They are talented girls. They’ve been working hard.”
