This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
07/29/2019 12:00 AMThe North Branford girls’tennis team notched a strong season with a 15 wins and postseason appearances all around. The Thunderbirds finished as won of the top teams in the Shoreline Conference and saw several of their athletes compete in the singles and doubles brackets at Shorelines. Head Coach Matt Tortora’s team also qualified for the Class S State Tournament, but lost to the eventual state champions, Weston.
Coach Tortora looked back at the goals that his squad set for this year and could only determine that this year was an all-around success for the Thunderbirds.
“At the beginning of the season before we even pick up balls and rackets, we all meet in a two-hour a session. We review the expectations from a coaching standpoint and a players standpoint in what it means to be a successful student-athlete, and we develop a pyramid of success,” said Tortora. “At the base is communication, and at the top is competitive greatness. We had three measurable goals. One was to finish top-three in the Shoreline Conference, another was to qualify for the Shoreline Tournament as a team, and qualify for states as a team, and we did that for the first time ever. You can’t be any happier.”
In the No. 1 singles position for the Thunderbirds was junior Sofia Cavalier, who earned All-Shoreline Conference First Team honors for her stellar play this season. Cavalier faced off in the Shoreline Conference Singles bracket final and took a tough loss to Westbrook’s Sara Farnoli, but her entire season could be considered nothing but a success.
“Sofia amazes me more and more every time I see her play. She never picked up a racquet before her freshman year. She has such a competitivefire inside of her. She’s grown as much or more than any player I’ve ever seen,” said Tortora. “She really works on her craft in the off season. She gets instruction, she takes care of her fitness. She is somebody that wanted to get better. Last year she became our No. 1. She’s an incredible player and an athlete. She could have plenty of opportunity to play in college.”
In the No. 2 spot was senior captain Sydney Constantinidi, who also earned All-Shoreline Conference First Team honors. The senior went undefeated with a 20-0 record on the season, and was always ready to go to work for North Branford.
“Sydney went 20-0 this year, and she even played through a hand injury where her hand was in a partial cast while she was playing,” said Tortora. “She’s so incredibly mature and responsible. She reminds me of that old infomercial where they say, ‘set it and forget it.’ When she takes the court she handles her business and comes off with a win every single time.”
Fellow senior captain Jordan Caplan held the No. 3 spot this season and earned All-Shoreline Conference Second Team honors for her impressive stint in 2019. She was an effective leader for North Branford.
“The most incredible thing about Jordan was watching her blossom as a player and a person. She was a shy and timid person at first, and by the time she was a senior captain, she was a vocal player and hard-working player,” said Tortora. “She would really gut it out. You knew every time she went out there you were getting everything she had. She puts in the same off season work as Sydney, and she picked up a part-time job to cover the expenses. She put in the work and found the fire and confidence. Then she was able to instill that fire in her teammates.”
At the No. 4 spot was junior Janessa Pompano, who really took the initiative to become a better player over the offseason. Coach Tortora gave advice on what to work on. Then he just waited to see the results this season, and he was impressed.
“Janessa asked me what she needed to do to be a singles player at the end of last year. I told her it’s a different mindset and we talked about a challenging off season program to develop key skills for a singles game,” Tortora said. She attacked her off season program. I was incredibly anxious to see her play, you never know how much a kid will grow in the off season. She came back as a different player. She played No. 4, but I would have been comfortable playing her anywhere in the lineup. That’s props to the hard work and the commitment she made.”
On the doubles side, the No. 1 duo of junior captain Briana Dautaj and sophomore Ava Galdenzi made a formidable pair at the top of the ladder.
“Bri was our most energetic leader. She brought out the best in all the players and the coaches too. When Bri is around and giving that energy, you want to be the best version of yourself. That’s why she was a junior captain. She’s naturally athletic. She doesn’t really move, she dances on the court. She has some of the best footwork I’ve seen as a coach,” said Tortora. “Eva came over from softball, and she’s a very good field hockey player in the fall. She’s incredibly athletic and she has that fire. Losing is the worst possible outcome in the entire world to her. The two of them developed a magically chemistry.”
The No. 2 tandem for the Thunderbirds was senior Alyssa Diaz and sophomore Catie Dow. They had a solid understanding between each other and how to work together to play their best match.
“They were another perfect match. Catie is a tri-athlete, and she moves very well. She grew up around tennis. She had a taste of the game before,” Tortora said. “Alyssa is someone who will let you know when you’re not trying your hardest. While Alyssa wasn’t a captain, she was an incredible leader. She was someone I looked to to take the temperature of the team. Alyssa is someone who will be special to me as an athlete.”
The No. 3 doubles spot ended up being a rotation between four players. Depending on match ups, seniors Aaliyah Aaron, Ashley Testa, or Alexina Cristante, or sophomore Emma Serenson could end up playing in that match.
“Nobody works harder than Aaliyah, and the rest of the team will say that, too. She will give you everything she has every practice and every match. Ashley really wanted to work on her craft and develop technical skills to put her in a position to play, and she came back some much stronger player and anchored that unit,” said Tortora. “Allie would show up to practice and ask me where I wanted her and what she needed to do. She wanted to learn and grow at every opportunity. Emma just picked up tennis last year, and didn’t even know how to hold a racquet. She has a calm about her in that no moment is too big. She’s someone I want on the court in a tiebreaker. She has the calm cool and collected feel. She just goes out and handles her business.”
In the end, Tortora is proud of his players and the family that they built together in 2019. Everyone was completely invested, and by the season’s conclusion coaches and players just family members.
“We might not have taken home a shoreline or state trophy, but we were able to work together and battle it out. We played the right way and practiced the right way. We trusted each other and trusted the process,” said Tortora. “At the end of the year, you’re looking not a team, but at a family. A group of people that can shed tears with each other when it’s over.”
• The North Branford girls’ tennis teams roster included senior captains Sydney Constantinidi and Jordan Caplan; seniors Aaliyah Aaron, Alexina Cristante, Alyssa Diaz, and Ashley Testa; junior captain Briana Dautaj; juniors Sofia Cavalier, Ava Galdenzi, Ariana Malavasi, Janessa Pompano, Madison Rosiak, and Samantha Saengsuwan; sophomores Brianna Brezicki, Catie Dow, Alyssa Nero, Emma Serenson, and Charlotte Villano; and freshmen Brianni Berrois, Valissa Cavalier, Dhruvi Patel, and Diya Pate.
• Head Coach Matt Tortora was assisted by volunteers Liz Caplan and Joe Capetta.
• The North Branford girls’ tennis team secured two wins apiece against Portland (7-0 and 7-0), Cromwell (7-0 and 5-2), Haddam-Killingworth (6-1 and 7-0), Morgan (7-0 and 6-1), Coginchaug (5-2 and 7-0), and East Hampton/Hale-Ray (6-1 and 5-2). North Branford earned a single win versus Old Saybrook (6-1).