Clutch Win

The Groton team, playing without CC Ho, knew they would be in for a tough match today and it certainly was that. The team score was close from the outset, as Carolyn Grenier, Katherine McCreery and Annie McCreery got off to strong starts to bring Groton three of the six first singles sets. As the singles players worked through their second sets the team match could have turned quickly in either direction. With neither side losing determination, though, the points only got longer and better. Grenier and Katherine McCreery continued to control their matches and closed out their second sets, but meanwhile Nobles made strong moves on all the other courts as Elizabeth Salisbury's opponent staged an impressive comeback and Maddy Forbess' opponent stayed strong through a tie-breaker. With the team match at 5 - 6, Anita Xu managed to endure some eternal points and take charge of enough others to tie up the team score.

With the team match on the line, there was no lack of intensity on the three doubles courts. Nobles took the first game in all three matches but then the Groton players dug in and the quality of play picked up. Grenier and Forbess played aggressively and kept gaining more momentum as their match progressed, turning a close struggle into a lopsided win. When they closed out their win, Groton still needed one of the other doubles points to secure a team victory. Annie McCreery and India Dial played excellent points throughout their match, but their opponents were just strong and steady enough to hold them off. Fortunately, by the time the team score reached 7 - 7, Katherine McCreery and Anita Xu had built a lead. They continued to dominate the net to secure the win just as daylight began to fade.

More tough opponents lie ahead, but in the meantime these Groton players have earned their weekend break!