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06/18/2017 12:00 AMThe Westbrook girls’ tennis squad exceeded expectations and turned in an excellent campaign that resulted in the Shoreline Conference championship with an overall record of 18-3 this spring. The Knights were anchored by senior captain Casey Burns, who won her fourth straight conference title as the No. 1 singles player, but their success was the product of contributions from everyone on the court.
Head Coach Paula Fitzgerald had tempered expectations for her team at the campaign’s outset. In their first match of the year, the Knights took a 5-2 loss against Coginchaug. On the bus ride home, one of Westbrook’s athletes asked Coach Fitzgerald if she would dye her hair purple if the Knights made states. Fitzgerald agreed, and her team responded by qualifying for the Class S State Championship with ease.
The Knights promptly went on a 16-match winning streak and qualified for states in their 11th by posting a 5-2 win over Valley Regional. The next day, Westbrook hosted Old Saybrook—its stiffest competition for the Shoreline crown—in a pivotal matchup. Westbrook had won the first meeting between the teams, and a second victory would put the Knights in prime position to win the conference. Coach Fitzgerald described her team’s 4-3 victory as extremely tense.
“It was 3-3, and the only match on the courts was [Sara Farnoli] versus Tanya Gianitsos,” said Fitzgerald. “The match was really close, and they were going into the third set. Farnoli basically won the third set for the league title.”
The Knights officially clinched when they beat Old Lyme by a 5-2 final the following week. Prior to the match, Fitzgerald emphasized its importance to her athletes.
“I thought that was the best match we played all season. That match, we keyed on. I told them we beat Saybrook already, and [Old Lyme was] right behind us. Now, we had to step up more than ever,” Fitzgerald said. “You can tell by the score they played out of their minds that day.”
The biggest contributor to Westbrook’s success was top singles player Burns, who went undefeated on the regular season and then earned All-Shoreline Conference First Team honors by winning the 1-2 singles bracket at Shorelines for the fourth year in a row. Burns didn’t lose until the State Open quarterfinals and finished with an overall record of 26-1 on her way to being named the Knights’ Most Valuable Player. Even though Burns was under tremendous pressure throughout the season, Coach Fitzgerald knew that her senior captain was automatic.
“This year, her game score was 252-8,” said Fitzgerald. “When she won the Shoreline title her freshman year, that’s a big target to have on your back for the next three years. I knew it was weighing on her. She had everything to lose and nothing to gain. At Shorelines, she said to me, ‘If I win, that’s what everybody expects of me.’ It’s unfair, but I also had to just tell her, ‘You’re right.’ It’s hard to raise the bar that high just to be yourself.”
Of course, it took more another great year from Burns for Westbrook to collect its 18 victories. Another stalwart in the singles lineup was sophomore Sara Farnoli, who made the jump from No. 3 to the No. 2 position. Farnoli finished with a record of 23-4, made the All-Shoreline Conference Second Team, and beat a No. 1 singles player to get to the Shoreline quarterfinals. Fitzgerald believes that Farnoli could have played No. 1 singles for many other teams.
“She gets overlooked a little bit because of Casey. She had an amazing year. She’s the epitome of what hard work gets you. She earns it,” said Fitzgerald. “The jump from 3 to 2 is a big leap, and you can’t tell because of how well she did.”
After Burns and Farnoli, the Knights earned their points in a variety of ways. Sara Davey began the season as a doubles player, but moved to No. 3 singles, where she went 8-7. After making that move, Fitzgerald shifted junior captain Olivia Fabrizi to the No. 1 doubles position with junior Marilyn Ulanowicz. The duo wound up securing a record of 12-7, made it to the second round of Shorelines, and then won a match at the State Open. Fitzgerald said the shakeup solidified her team’s lineup.
“No. 1 doubles, you’re not going to have an easy day. You’re not going to play anyone bad,” she said. “To be honest, Olivia wanted to play singles, but she accepted the move to doubles without question, and played really well with Marilyn. She worked really hard, and it made a big difference.”
Senior Ariel Ulanowicz held down the No. 4 singles spot for Westbrook and finished with a 10-10 record in her second year playing tennis. Fitzgerald appreciated that she could put the cards on the table and speak straight with the senior.
“She’s only a second-year player, and she had to fight off good players for her spot,” said Fitzgerald. “I put a little pressure on her, and she stepped up to the plate. She did a nice job.”
At No. 2 doubles, junior captain Victoria Koplas and sophomore Savannah Marshall complied a strong record of 16-4 on the year. Marshall, an accomplished basketball player for Westbrook, was a first-year tennis player with the Knights. Fitzgerald felt pleased with the performance of Marshall and Koplas, who wound up qualifying for the State Open.
“You can tell by their record that they played well together,” said Fitzgerald. “I think it is a great experience for Savannah to be on a team where she isn’t the best player. Victoria was really good about bringing her along as a new player.”
At No. 3 doubles was the junior duo of Alyssa Esposito and Lexi Vumback, who both received the Coach’s Award. They finished the year with a 14-5 record, and Fitzgerald appreciated how they dealt with the challenges of playing the third doubles position.
“They were often that fourth point we needed,” said Fitzgerald. “That doubles team doesn’t get on the court right away, and they start already knowing the team score. They play with a lot of pressure.”
Ultimately, Coach Fitzgerald will have fond memories of this season not just because of her squad’s accomplishments, but also because her athletes meshed together successfully, while still being themselves.
“It was a very fun year. They are a goofy, funny group of people,” said Fitzgerald. “You have to know when to let ‘em go and when to pull ‘em in.”
As for next season, Fitzgerald said there are still plenty of things up in the air, although she feels confident that everything will work itself out just like it did this season.
“Who knows? I can really say that after this year,” said Fitzgerald. “We’re losing a guaranteed point for the past four years. Sara will step up and be great at No. 1. There will be some shuffling next year for sure. I have a lot of players who played well for me this year. I’m sure the same will happen next year, but who it will be and where they play, we don’t know yet.”
From the Sidelines
Westbrook’s victories on the season came against Portland (7-0 and 7-0), East Hampton (6-1 and 7-0), Haddam-Killingworth (6-1 and 6-1), Old Saybrook (4-3 and 4-3), Old Lyme (7-0 and 5-2), North Branford (5-2 and 4-3), Cromwell (4-3), Morgan (6-1 and 5-2), Coginchaug (5-2), and Valley Regional (5-2 and 6-1).
The Knights’ varsity roster featured senior captain Casey Burns and fellow senior Ariel Ulanowicz; junior captains Victoria Koplas and Olivia Fabrizi, as well as fellow juniors, Alyssa Esposito, Marilyn Ulanowicz, and Meredith Farrell; sophomores Sara Farnoli and Savannah Marshall; and freshman Juliana Fabrizi.