This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
06/21/2021 12:00 AMThe Westbrook girls’ tennis team had an unexpectedly outstanding season in 2021. The Knights’ roster had an array of novices in the lineup and not a single senior on the roster. Still, Head Coach Paula Fitzgerald’s squad posted an overall record of 17-3 on the season, finished second in the Shoreline Conference, and reached the semifinals of the Class S State Tournament.
The Knights’ campaign was a significant achievement and, at the season’s outset, Coach Fitzgerald could never have expected everything that her squad accomplished, especially since the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19. Westbrook had very little continuity from the 2019 season with only four juniors spending any time on the varsity court.
“We had no season last year, and we had no seniors on the team,” said Fitzgerald. “The juniors this year were freshmen the last time I saw them. We were sort of flying blind this season.”
The Knights were led by the four junior players who had previous varsity experience Julia Farnoli, Gianni Salisbury, Bree Koplas, and Xan Zanzalari. Coach Fitzgerald believed that Westbrook’s captains were pivotal in helping the team develop a winning standard.
“You don’t want to say it was by default but, back to freshman year, they all had some varsity experience,” Fitzgerald said. “Since they all played a little bit of varsity we felt the team was really theirs to lead. They did such a phenomenal job. I can’t speak highly enough of this group.”
Farnoli played No. 1 singles for the Knights, which meant she was facing the toughest competition the Shoreline Conference has to offer. Coach Fitzgerald thought that Farnoli was well-suited for that spot, and she proved that by earning All-Shoreline Conference First Team honors, reaching the semis in the Shoreline Conference No. 1-2 Singles Tournament, and receiving Westbrook’s Most Valuable Player Award.
“Julia is a great athlete with a great athletic mind. She understands the game of tennis. The only person she lost to twice was Coginchaug’s No. 1, and they went on to win the whole thing. Julia split with Old Lyme’s and Valley’s No. 1s,” Fitzgerald said. “We have some very complex tennis strategy talks in a short period of time between sets, and she just gets it. She also has a great ability to figure out her opponents. She adapts her game to what’s needed.”
Salisbury held the No. 2 position for Westbrook, and impressively only lost two matches all year. Salisbury earned All-Shoreline Conference Second Team honors, as well as Westbrook’s Coaches’ Award.
“Gianni played No. 3 doubles in 2019, and now she’s playing No. 2 singles. I didn’t think she would be capable of winning at that position, but she only lost two matches all season. It’s incredible to how far her tennis came,” said Fitzgerald. “She really put in the time. She just will never give up. You can never count her out. She’s come back in some crazy matches. The squad would say, ‘I don’t think Gianni knows how to lose.’ She just keeps playing to the end.”
Zanzalari and Koplas played at the No. 1 doubles spot, and their chemistry made them a force to be reckoned with. The pair earned All-Shoreline Conference First Team honors and reached the finals of the Shoreline Conference Doubles Tournament.
“I didn’t think that they would play together. We wanted to split them up and pair them with newer players since they had tennis experience, but they really meshed together. They have totally different styles, but it worked,” Fitzgerald said. “What made them a great team was that they could critique each other without taking anything personally. Their greatest point of the season was after they lost to Coginchaug twice, they beat Coginchaug in the semis to make it to the finals at Shorelines. It showed how far they came this season.”
At the No. 3 singles position was sophomore Ava Ciarcia. This year marked her first foray into competitive tennis. Coach Fitzgerald with what she accomplished given her lack of experience on the court.
“For a complete novice, Ava did such a great job. The first year is going to full of ups and downs, and she really worked through them,” Fitzgerald said. “This is a high position on the team compared to what most first year players are playing. A lot was asked of her, but she just worked hard throughout the whole season and that will pay dividends in the future.”
Another junior who played well for the Knights this season was Jami Sacco. It was her first year playing tennis, and her primary sport is basketball. Coach Fitzgerald saw how well her athletic skills on one court transferred to another.
“Jami never played tennis before. Her friends finally convinced to play another sport besides basketball. Tennis is not her first sport, but she has athletic ability,” Fitzgerald said. “When you start there with a player, they can use that and learn the sport as the season goes on. Athletic competitiveness is something she has in spades.”
The Knights’ No. 2 doubles’ tandem freshman Olivia Palumbo and sophomore Adriana Stranieri learned a lot on the court this season. The pair garnered Westbrook’s Most Improved Award for making large strides as they gained experience.
“Olivia and Adriana were also complete novices to start the year. As the year went on, they challenged Bree and Xan at practice and played well. They knew they were getting better when they started doing that. It was a fun competition between them at practice,” Fitzgerald said. “They both play other sports, so they have that athletic knowledge in themselves. They adapted it to tennis. When they learned how to correctly hit the ball, the rest fell into place. They also work really well together.”
In the No. 3 singles position was sophomore Caroline Dias and one of either junior Marlee Archer or sophomore Sophia Rutkis. In the postseason, Rutkis and Archee split duties between Shorelines and States.
“Caroline always played. Sophia played half the matches, and so did Marlee. I played Sophia and Caroline in Shorelines. Then I played Caroline Marlee in states. I thought that was fair,” Fitzgerald said. “Caroline was the anchor there. What I liked about her the most, was in States Caroline really wanted to play the best team. She wanted to be able to play them and learn what it takes. She wanted to play the best. That’s a great attitude.”
Looking back on this year, Coach Fitzgerald and Assistant Coach Nikki Esposito were impressed. This year marked their 11th season coaching together, and they are excited to see what the future brings for this team. At the season outset, they set some solid goals for the team, and the team fulfilled them and then some. Next year, those goals may be more ambitious than this season’s.
“Nikki and I were betting with each other about what the team would do this season. She had them higher than me. She won that one. We’ve been coaching together for 11 years, and our philosophies mesh up. We know each other are thinking. She’s a great backboard,” Fitzgerald said. “I think if a coach is doing their job right, they should try to make high goals but realistic. This team blew all the goals we had out of the water. Second in the Shoreline and semifinals in states, I couldn’t be happier with what they did.”