Pictured following GA’s first tennis scrimmage are (from left) new assistant coach Andrew Silverman, senior Devon Gelman and new head coach Ryan Gargullo. Gelman is a 2018 team captain along with classmates ChiChi Boye, Emma Menkowitz and Julia Ostrovsky. (Photo by Tom Utescher)[/caption]

by Tom Utescher

There was new leadership for Germantown Academy’s tennis team when the girls assembled for their first practices last week, although new skipper Ryan Gargullo knows both the area and the Inter-Ac League pretty well.

Gargullo was a member of several Inter-Ac champion tennis teams at the old Chestnut Hill Academy, going on to become a player and team captain at La Salle University. Following a stint as assistant coach at Chestnut Hill College, he spent two years at Florida’s Evert Tennis Academy.

He returned to CHC in 2016 to take on the role of head coach for both the men’s and women’s programs, and he and his wife and young son settled in Blue Bell. Longtime Chestnut Hill College assistant coach Andrew Silverman is joining Gargullo at GA this fall.

The Patriots’ new mentor has inherited a team that returns largely intact from 2017, when GA was in its third season under former head coach Lora Ball. Number one singles player Renee Repella has moved on, but the only other graduation loss was doubles player Rachel Kliger.

This fall, the senior quad-captains are ChiChi Boye, Emma Menkowitz, Julia Ostrovsky and Devon Gelman. During the team’s initial scrimmage last Saturday morning, the first three were taking SAT tests. Menkowitz played second singles for GA last year, and junior Tiffany Zhong (the number three singles player from 2017) was also unable to participate in last weekend’s initial tune-up against visiting Archbishop Wood High School.

These practice matches consisted of single pro sets, and sophomore Sara Rojas acquitted herself well when she was moved into the first singles position, winning over Wood’s top player, 8-0. Fellow 10th-grader Kendall Skalicky was the GA victim in the Vikings’ only victory of the day, at second singles.

Junior Alice Su swept her rival at third singles 8-0, but at first doubles team captain Gelman and sophomore colleague Haley Marks battled through what was chronologically the longest match, eventually prevailing, 8-5.

Since the visitors did not bring a full complement of players, there was no fourth doubles match, and the Patriots posted 8-1 wins at second and third doubles. Juniors Sadie Andra and Amanda Li were featured in the second flight, while junior Kara McAndrew and senior Emma Comradi made up the third pairing.

A number of the Vikings had to play two matches, and GA’s third doubles partners split up to play once more, as well. After their doubles bout, Comradi ground out a 9-7 singles victory and McAndrew won her solo match, 8-4.

Varsity team members Laura Lennon (a junior) and Emily Wang (a sophomore) were among the GA players who had other commitments last weekend.