Mount tennis eyes sixth straight AACA title

by Tom Utescher
Posted 10/7/20

Last week Mount St. Joseph Academy began rolling towards its sixth straight tennis championship in the Athletic Association of Catholic Academies, opening the season on Monday with a 5-0 victory over …

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Mount tennis eyes sixth straight AACA title

Posted

Last week Mount St. Joseph Academy began rolling towards its sixth straight tennis championship in the Athletic Association of Catholic Academies, opening the season on Monday with a 5-0 victory over visiting Villa Joseph Marie.

At this time last year the Mount program was adjusting to the graduation of key players from the previous season's roster, but this fall most of the 2019 championship team returns to the court. Head coach Joy Grafenstine is back for her sixth campaign with the Magic, and assistant Kate Murray has returned for her second season at the Mount.

The AACA still employs a three-singles, two-doubles match format, and the only new player among the seven who took the court against Villa Joe in the 2020 opener was junior Shanele Tamulevicius.

She was paired at first doubles with sophomore Beth Murray (daughter of Coach Murray), and this duo downed Kaitlyn Burke and Erica Johnson of the visiting Jems, 6-1, 6-0.

The Mounties did not give up even one game at second doubles, where senior Nancy Mabry and junior Leah Scott breezed past VJM's Alex Venth and Molly McCafee.

There was another 6-0, 6-0 outcome in the third singles flight, where visitor Morgan Decker fell to Mount St. Joseph senior Rachel Zilligen.

Magic sophomore Dylan Conroy celebrated her Sweet 16 birthday with a 6-1, 6-2 victory at second singles over Sarah Taylor.

The only match not decided in straight sets was the first singles bout, which featured the returning Mount number one, senior Grace Walker. Moving the ball around the court well, Villa Joe's Ines Dominique captured the opening set, 6-2.

"I told Grace to stay away from that girl's forehand," Coach Grafenstine revealed later on. "Grace played the ball more to her backhand and turned it around."

Persevering through a number of long rallies, Walker won each of the next two sets at 6-2 to complete the Mount's 5-0 sweep.

The AACA recently made the decision to allow member schools to participate in the PIAA tournaments at the end of the season. In team matches, the PIAA format features four doubles matches, and Mount St. Joe's will have players ready to fill those spots. At present, juniors Ellie Devine and Ellida Meitner are set to play third doubles, while seniors Grace Finley and Brayley Haviland will make up the fourth pair.