hopkinton-independent-logo2x
Hopkinton, MA
loader-image
Hopkinton, US
6:16 pm, Monday, December 9, 2024
temperature icon 40°F
Humidity 93 %
Wind Gust: 8 mph

SIGN UP TODAY!
BREAKING NEWS & DAILY NEWSLETTER





Hillers girls tennis excels back in D1

by | May 26, 2024 | Sports

HHS girls tennis team

The HHS girls tennis team was closing in on a state tournament berth in late May. PHOTO/JOHN CARDILLO

The Hopkinton High School girls tennis program is back in Division 1 this year, but the move has not slowed the Hillers’ success in the slightest. Hopkinton posted a double-digit win total in both the Tri-Valley League and overall.

“They are all very coachable tennis players, and they are very supportive of each other and push each other to do better,” said coach Lyn Calkins. “Both in practice and during matches, they hold each other accountable on and off the court.”

Hopkinton has benefited from having a great deal of consistency in its lineup relative to last year. Sophomore May Chen returned and is the top singles player in the lineup. She had posted a 10-5 record heading into the final two regular-season matches.

Junior Avery Michaud, a doubles player last spring, improved enough to earn a nod as the No. 2 singles player.

“She worked her way up in the lineup,” Calkins said. “It has been a little bit of an adjustment playing singles, but she is a backboard. She has come up big for us in a lot of matches.”

Senior co-captain Roma Tewari plays third singles and also won more than a dozen matches this spring.

“She is a solid, reliable player for us,” Calkins said.

Evanya Mathur, another senior co-captain, returned at first doubles alongside junior Aarushi Kamra. In part due to some injuries and illnesses over the course of the year, Hopkinton has settled on the second doubles tandem of junior Caitlin Mangan and freshman Charlotte Nadeau.

“They have excellent team chemistry and have had to fight through some tough matches together,” Calkins said.

Overall, the results have been solid for the program. Calkins reached a milestone when a win in a May 6 match at Holliston gave her 100 victories in her Hopkinton career.

Calkins said the Hillers accomplished one goal by putting themselves in the mix for the TVL title and a spot in the state tournament. The coach said that Hopkinton set a goal of advancing into the second round of the playoffs. To do so will require the Hillers to do what they have generally done all year, pick up one another.

“When someone is having a bad day, it just seems like another person or a doubles team shows up big and helps carry the team that day,” Calkins said. “We are pretty deep in that way.”

Added the coach: “There is a really solid team bond. The girls have had a lot of good off-court team bonding activities, and they are all really looking out for each other.”

0 Comments

Related Articles

Photos: Hiller 5K at Hopkinton Middle School

Hopkinton Middle School students took part in the annual Hiller Block 5K road race at the middle school on Nov. 20. The race, sponsored by the 26.2 Foundation, is part of a training program led by wellness teacher and coach Deb Pinto. Students volunteered free...

Hiller 5K

Move In Style Athlete Spotlight: Katie Dellacioppa

A third-year member of the program, Dellacioppa helped lead the Hillers to a 12th-place finish at the state competition last month. “Katie has always pushed through injury and illness, and even from the sidelines gives her all to the team,” coach Rachel DeMore...

Hillers can’t stop Ashland’s ground game in Thanksgiving loss

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtsJF0EjU8c Like the rain that fell at Hopkinton High School's David Hughes Stadium on Thursday morning, the Ashland running game left Hopkinton feeling all wet. The Clockers pounded the ball up and down the field all game, scoring...

HHS football

Hillers seek T-Day win after challenging season

After the Hopkinton High School football team suffered a 28-13 setback against Oliver Ames on Nov. 15, coach Mark Sanborn had a message for his team leading into the final game of the season: Forget about everything that’s happened through the first 10 games. “We...

HHS football team

HHS athletes announce college commitments

Hopkinton High School on Friday hosted a signing day ceremony to celebrate seven student-athletes who plan to continue their careers at the NCAA Division 1 or 2 level. The list of Hillers who will be competing at the next level includes athletes from five different...

HHS signing day November 2024

Move In Style Athlete Spotlight: Stephen Leighton

A top runner for the Hillers since his freshman year, Leighton won the Tri-Valley League Showcase Meet this fall. He the helped lead his team to a fifth-place finish in the Division 1C meet and 17th-place finish in the Division 1 Meet of Champions. “Stephen is...

Athlete Spotlight-Leighton
Key Storage 4.14.22