By Luke Nadkarni / Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
Albemarle’s girls tennis team’s season came to an end Tuesday afternoon at the hands of visiting Marshall in the 5A North regional quarterfinals, as the Statesmen coasted to a 5-0 victory.
Dany Chaillo was first off the court for Marshall, defeating Albemarle’s Erin McCullen 6-1, 6-0 at No. 4 to make it 1-0. Teammate Priya Trehan quickly doubled that lead with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Molly Napolitano at No. 3.
“When you get to this level of competition you need to really be dialed in,” AHS head coach Rich Lindsay said. “[Marshall] just took advantage of some things we didn’t do today.”
No. 5 Sydney Rees gave Marshall a 3-0 lead, knocking off Leah Lord 6-1, 6-3. One spot below, Rachel Liebowitz brought the Statesmen even closer to advancing with a 6-0, 6-1 romp over Madeline Bruggerman.
Nattie Koludrovic gave Marshall the necessary fifth win with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Maddie Williamson at No. 2, sending her team into the regional semifinals, where they’ll meet the winner of the Brooke Point-Broad Run match. At No. 1, Albemarle’s Kaitlyn Grossman and Marshall’s Shreya Peddinti were locked in a tight match when the Statesmen wrapped things up. Peddinti had won a first-set tiebreaker and was up 2-0 in the second set.
Grossman was one of four Albemarle starters who played her final match Tuesday. Lindsay expressed his appreciation for his seniors after the match.
“More important than being good tennis players, they’re good people,” Lindsay said. “They’re great ambassadors for our school and our athletic program.”
Marshall 5, Albemarle 0
Singles
1. Peddinti vs. Grossman 7-6, 2-0 DNF
2. Koludrovic d. Williamson 6-1, 6-0
3. Trehan d. Napolitano 6-2, 6-1
4. Chaillo d. McCullen 6-1, 6-0
5. Rees d. Lord 6-1, 6-3
6. Liebowitz d. Bruggerman 6-0, 6-1
