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05/30/2022 12:00 AMThe Hand boys’ tennis team stormed into postseason play after netting 17 victories during the regular season this spring. The Tigers carried their momentum into the SCC Tournament last week and went on to claim their fourth-straight conference title with a win versus Fairfield Prep in the final.
Hand achieved the SCC four-peat by earning a 5-2 victory versus Fairfield Prep in the championship match of the SCC Tournament at Amity High School on May 24. The Tigers, who had defeated Guilford in the semis, are sporting an overall record of 20-1 and have won 15-consecutive matches heading into the Class L State Tournament.
Hand’s athletes had to deal with some adjustments on the heels of multiple seasons that were impacted due to COVID-19. Consequently, this year’s SCC title feels a little sweeter for Head Coach Dawn Fagerquist. The Tigers only’ loss of the year came against Avon back on April 18. Hand has been on a remarkable run since then with most of its victories coming in dominating fashion behind stellar play throughout the lineup.
“The whole season, we were talking about winning SCCs. With COVID, rules were dropping, masks were dropped. The kids were playing more,” Coach Fagerquist said. “I think we started getting more excited because we could all be together.”
Coach Fagerquist felt confident in her team after making multiple shifts in the lineup from the 2021 club. Fagerquist knew that the Tigers would still have a strong squad despite losing some key leaders from last year’s championship run.
Fagerquist was excited to work with a group of seniors who’ve won multiple titles in the program.
“Due to COVID last year, I had to have a smaller team. It was nice to keep more kids. More kids were playing, everyone was more excited,” said Fagerquist. “I think the confidence came from being together for the four years and knowing who we had coming back. I knew what my lineup was going to be automatically.”
After blanking Branford in the SCC quarterfinals, top-seeded Hand posted a 7-0 home win against No. 5 seed Guilford in a semifinal contest on May 23. The Tigers had notched a pair of shutouts versus Guilford during the regular season and wisely stuck to their strategy while facing the Grizzlies again in the SCC semis.
Senior Sebastien Lowy notched a 6-2, 6-0 victory for Hand in the No. 1 singles match. Sophomore Elliott Booth won a 6-1, 6-1 decision at No. 2 singles; senior Max Gulla was a 6-3, 6-3 winner at No. 3 singles; and sophomore Matt Vetter claimed a 6-1, 6-1 win in the No. 4 singles match.
The Tigers’ No. 1 doubles team of senior Will de Chabert and senior Will Fumex earned a 6-2, 6-2 win. The No. 2 duo of senior Robbie Washburne and senior Patrick Hennessey posted a 7-5, 6-1 victory; while the No. 3 tandem of senior Ethan Speerli and sophomore Will Dodd triumphed by the final of 6-2, 6-2.
Coach Fagerquist was expecting good results from all of Hand’s athletes heading into its semifinal match with Guilford. Fagerquist felt happy that everyone in the Tigers’ lineup played some excellent tennis that day.
“The boys played well. Fortunately, we beat them before, so we went in with a little more confidence, a little more focus,” Fagerquist said. “We always have good matches with Guilford. It’s always a fun match.”
Hand’s semifinal victory over Guilford launched the team into a championship showdown versus No. 2 seed Fairfield Prep the following day. Just like with Guilford, Hand had gone 2-0 in its regular-season meetings against Prep. Once again, Coach Fagerquist relied on the strength of her lineup and saw the Tigers defeat the Jesuits by a 5-2 score to capture the conference crown for the fourth-consecutive campaign.
With the SCC final taking place at Amity’s eight-court facility, Coach Fagerquist got to take in multiple matches at once. Hand’s No. 1 doubles team of de Chabert and Fumex recorded a 6-2, 6-2 victory against Prep’s top pairing. Wasburne and Hennessey took a 6-1, 6-3 loss at No. 2 singles; and Speerli and Dodd lost a 6-3, 6-1 decision at No. 3 doubles.
On the other side of the courts, the Tigers swept singles play on their way to winning the contest. Lowy posted a 2-6, 6-2, 12-10 win in the No. 1 singles match and was ultimately named the SCC Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Booth earned a 6-2, 6-1 victory; Gulla claimed a 6-1, 6-1 win; and Vetter netted a 6-1, 6-1 at the No. 2 through 4 singles spots, respectively.
Coach Fagerquist was more than satisfied with her team’s performance in the SCC title bout. After sweeping singles play, she knew that the Tigers were on their way to another championship. Overall, Fagerquist felt happy about how her players prepared for then match and then executed their game-plan.
“When we got to the final, it’s always nice beating Prep, because they’re such a good ball club, such a good team. It’s nice to beat them,” Fagerquist said. “They all played well. They all came out fast and furious.”
The day after winning SCCs, Hand picked up a 5-2 victory at Weston in its last match of the regular season. The contest was completed on May 25 after getting postponed in the midst of competition due to rain the previous week. Lowy and Booth each prevailed at the top two singles spots, while Vetter won a 6-1, 6-4 decision at No. 4 singles. Hand’s doubles teams of de Chabert-Fumex (6-2, 6-3) and Washburne-Hennessey (6-2, 6-3) were also victorious.
The Tigers now get ready to compete in the Class L State Tournament as the No. 2 seed. Hand is hosting No. 15 seed Guilford for a first-round match on Tuesday, May 31 at 3:30 p.m. With a win, Hand would advance to host the winner of No. 7 Fitch and No. 10 South Windsor in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, June 1. The semifinals are on Thursday, June 2, and the Class L state final will be held at Wesleyan University on Friday, June 3.
With another SCC title in the books, Coach Fagerquist is looking forward to the challenge of playing in states. Fagerquist feels excited that the Tigers get to showcase their skills on an even bigger stage.
“We’re going to go in, we’re going to treat it like a match, not get too over confident. Just go in and play smart and committed. If we lose, it is what it is. If we win, just keep going forward,” said Fagerquist. “It’s hard playing schools that we don’t know, but I always look for the challenge. Let’s play and let the best team win.”
While Hand is certainly looking to make a deep run in the state tourney, Coach Fagerquist feels that this season has already proved a huge success no matter what happens going forward. After dealing with the unpredictability of the last few years, Fagerquist is ecstatic about what the Tigers have accomplished on the court in 2022.
“I think this one meant more to me this year. It’s after a situation where I lost a year where the kids couldn’t play. A lot of my seniors lost their junior year. Coming back as a senior, winning it for the third time for them, it’s huge,” Coach Fagerquist said. “I just want the kids to be happy. I think I’m more happy because they’re happy. We get to be together. We get to be a team.”