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06/11/2018 12:00 AMThe Westbrook girls’ tennis team had another outstanding campaign in 2018, highlighted by the Knights claiming their second straight Shoreline Conference crown with a regular-season record of 17-3, after which they continued their success in the postseason.
In Shoreline Conference Tournament, the Knights saw senior captain Victoria Koplas win the No. 3-4 singles title, junior Sarah Farnoli reach the 1-2 singles final, and the senior duo of captain Olivia Fabrizi and Marilyn Ulanowicz advance to the semifinals of the doubles draw.
Then in the Class S State Tournament, the No. 5 seed Knights earned a first-round victory by defeating 12th-seeded Valley Regional 4-3. Westbrook went on to take a 5-2 loss against No. 4 Shepaug Valley to close the season with a record of 18-4.
Head Coach Paula Fitzgerald thought her squad stepped up huge after graduating one of Westbrook’s all-time greats, Casey Burns. Instead of taking a step back, the Knights won their first 12 matches and qualified for states within the first month of the season. Westbrook finished with 18 wins for the second consecutive year, and Fitzgerald attributed that consistency to her athletes’ preparation.
“I gotta give these players so much credit. Nobody thought they would be as successful this year, but they expected a lot of themselves and pushed each other. They said, ‘We plan on winning this.’ That was their goal,” said Fitzgerald of the Shoreline title. “You always tell kids what they need to do be successful, but you can’t guarantee it. You can do everything right and still not reach your goal, but you pretty much guarantee you won’t get there if you don’t do it right. This team did everything right.”
Farnoli typified Westbrook’s relentless approach and capped off her junior year by competing in the State Open Tournament. Farnoli earned an 8-3 over Clara Siegmund of Woodstock Academy in the first round. In the second round, she lost an 8-0 decision to No. 1 seed Gabriella Dellacono of Stonington. Farnoli turned in a regular-season record of 16-4 and earned All-Shoreline Conference First Team honors this spring.
Coach Fitzgerald always thought that Farnoli could be a solid No. 1 singles player, and Farnoli proved it this year. Fitzgerald felt proud of Farnoli for fulfilling her goal of reaching the Shoreline final, even after hitting a rough patch toward the end of the season.
“Moving up to the No. 1 spot is a whole different game. It’s a big jump. Everyone, once in a while, will get and easy match, except at No. 1. Sara’s goal was to end up in the Shoreline finals against Emily Beck, and that’s what she did,” said Fitzgerald. “I give her a lot of credit. She was going well on the season, winning 12 of 13 matches. Then she hit a blip where she lost three in a row...She was down on herself a little bit, but then she went into Shorelines and did what she did.”
Senior captain Koplas was another bright spot for Westbrook, while playing No. 3 singles this spring. Koplas finished the regular season with a record of 19-1, before taking the No. 3-4 title in the Shoreline Conference Tournament and garnering All-Conference First Team honors. Fitzgerald said that Koplas is a steady worker who led through example, as well as with the way she communicated with her teammates.
“She’s a vocal leader, and she was the one player who started her freshman year with this group. She played doubles for three years, and I knew she would have to move to singles,” said Fitzgerald. “What she pulled off this year is remarkable. Everyone wonders how she does it, how she somehow finds a way to win. Victoria’s parents built a wall in the back yard to hit off and, like her mother said, ‘I’m so glad she learned what hard work could get her.’”
Senior captain Fabrizi and fellow senior Ulanowicz provided stability at the top of the doubles ladder for Westbrook. The duo went 17-3 on the regular season and made the All-Shoreline Conference Second Team. Fabrizi was another vocal leader, and Coach Fitzgerald said the senior best described the Knights’ season after she and Ulanowicz were eliminated from Shorelines.
“They lost in the semis at Shorelines, and they were both talking with the Old Lyme coach. He told them not to be disappointed, and that they had a great season. Olivia’s outspoken, too, and she said to him that they weren’t,” Fitzgerald said. “Then Olivia turned to Marilyn and said, ‘We never said that we were great, but this year we showed that if we worked hard, we could be really, really good at something.’”
Westbrook earned seven wins by a 4-3 score this year and relied on strong performances from everyone in the lineup at critical times. The Knights’ No. 2 duo Alyssa Esposito and Lexi Vumback won 16 matches to make the All-Shoreline Conference Second Team, while No. 2 singles player Sarah Davey earned 11 victories. Olivia Archer and Juliana Fabrizi claimed eight wins at the No. 3 doubles spot for Westbrook. Mary Farrell and Skylar Jacobs split time at No. 4 singles and combined for five wins.
“We had a lot of 4-3 matches this year. We didn’t just coast. A lot of it was the work these players did alone. If you ask me what makes the difference, it’s probably that,” said Fitzgerald. “Everyone came in better than last season. This group worked more in the off season as a group than any I’ve ever coached.”
All in all, Coach Fitzgerald loved seeing her team enjoy the success that they did this year. It meant a lot to her not just because the Knights worked so hard for it, but also because of the type of people that her athletes are.
“I’m so happy that it’s paid off for all the players this year. From a coaching point of view, it’s been one of the best years ever,” said Fitzgerald. “They’re such nice kids. It’s nice when good things happen to good people.”
From the Sidelines
The Westbrook girls’ tennis team’s regular victories this season came against Portland (7-0, 7-0), Coginchaug (4-3, 5-2), Old Saybrook (5-2), East Hampton/Hale-Ray (7-0, 7-0), Haddam-Killingworth (4-3, 5-2), Old Lyme (7-0), North Branford (5-2, 4-3), Cromwell (4-3), Valley Regional (4-3, 4-3), and Morgan (6-1, 7-0).
Head Coach Paula Fitzgerald has been the Knights’ head coach since 1990 and is assisted by Nikki Esposito.