October 5, 2006 Issue                                       

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©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

Mount tennis tops Gwynedd, Merion Mercy
by TOM UTESCHER

Mount St. Joseph Academy’s racquetwomen remained unbeaten in the Athletic Association of Catholic Academies last week, ringing up a 4-1 win over two-time defending league champion Gwynedd Mercy Academy on Monday, and then shading Merion Mercy, 3-2, the following afternoon.

In a third home match last week, the Mounties took a non-league drubbing at the hands (racquets?) of Notre Dame Academy, which is a bona fide contender this fall in the tough Girls Inter-Ac League. This contest was played in an expanded four-singles, three-doubles format, and the Irish came away with a 7-0 win. Mount St. Joe ended the week with an overall record of 8-3, and an 8-0 mark in the AACA.

Last fall, the Mount defeated Gwynedd in both regular-season meetings, only to lose to the Monarchs in the finals of the AACA championship tournament. The much-anticipated first encounter of the 2006 season had been scheduled for September 14, but was postponed due to rain.

The match featured several three-set bouts, and another that ended with a second-set tiebreaker. At first singles, MSJ’s Caroline Baca prevailed over visitor Katie Smith, 6-2, 1-6, 6-2, but in another three-setter, Caitlin O’Connor evened it up for the Monarchs with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 win over Magic number two Katie Mischler.

In the most straightforward match of the day, Gail Walsh won for the Mount at third singles, taking two 6-4 sets from Alex Wagner of Gwynedd. At first doubles, Allie Bono and Alyssa Hirst of the host team won the opening set at 6-2, but in the second round they were taken into a tiebreaker by GMA’s Bridged Dunne and Gabrielle Capelli. Here the Mounties clinched the contest, 7-2.

Megan O’Leary and Sarah Hirst, playing second doubles for the Magic, took a 6-3, 7-5 decision from Gwynedd’s Jenna Bourdeu and Carolyn DeLisi.

Back at the end of August, the Mount won its league opener by a 3-2 count at Villa Joseph Marie, although the Magic were playing without an injured Baca. Even with the senior number one back on the court for last week’s rematch between the teams, the visiting Jems managed to make it another close contest, with an MSJ victory at second doubles deciding the outcome.

Baca easily overcame Dana Gibson, 6-2, 6-1, and at second singles Mischler went by Maureen Rohrbaugh of Villa Joe, 6-2, 6-2. The visitors notched a 7-6, 6-3 win at third singles, where Charlotte Slack took the measure of MSJ’s Walsh, and at first doubles, Maddie Graf and Marianna Hildalgo’s 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Bono and Alyssa Hirst of the Magic evened up the team score at 2-2.

O’Leary and Sarah Hirst took the first set of the second doubles match at 6-3, but it looked like this contest might extend to three sets when Sara Ancona and Kristin Daly-Barnes of Villa Joe took a 4-1 lead in the second go-round. Strong play by O’Leary helped rally the Mount duo, who captured five straight games to win the set (6-4) and the match, while also securing the team victory for the Magic.