Rice bounces Woodstock girls tennis from D-II playoffs

Staff Report

Published: 06-06-2023 5:43 PM

WOODSTOCK — It was a premature postseason exit for the Woodstock High girls tennis team as the No. 2 seed Wasps were upset in Monday’s VP Division II quarterfinals, 4-3, by seventh-seeded Rice at the Woodstock Athletic Club.

All three of Woodstock’s wins came in singles. Junior Hannah Watson, at the No. 2 position, lost the first set in a tiebreak but took the second 6-4, then defeated Lily Collins in a super-tiebreak, 10-2. Fellow juniors Chloe Masillo and Charlotte Nunan, at Nos. 4 and 5, both won easily, with Masillo defeating Ella McCormack, 6-4, 6-0, and Nunan routing Gabby Sneddon, 6-1, 6-2.

Everywhere else, though, the Wasps (9-3) came up short. At No. 1 singles, junior Brooke Hecker played a tight first set before losing, 7-5, 6-2, to Sophia Strouse. At No. 3, junior Sophia Nisimblat lost a lengthy first-set tiebreak, dominated the second set, then lost on a super-tiebreak against Anna Wolters.

The two doubles matches also did not go Woodstock’s way, with the No. 1 team of junior Tess Belisle and freshman Mia Zillian losing, 6-1, 6-3, and the No. 2 pairing of sophomore Maggie Pierce and freshman Chiara Winawer-Stein losing, 6-2, 6-3.

The Wasps should have their entire team back next year, with no seniors on the 2023 roster, and the singles lineup of five juniors will again lead the way in 2024. Woodstock has won 11 state championships in program history, most recently a three-peat from 2017-19, but has not reached the semifinals since then.

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