Printer Friendly Version - Hand Girls’ Tennis Ready to Run Deep in States

The Hand girls’ tennis team finished the regular season with a 12-5 record prior to reaching the semifinals in the SCC Tournament and now preparing for the Class M State Tournament, a draw that saw the Tigers reach the finals in 2022. Photo courtesy of John Gage

Laila Haraj-Sai is a senior captain and All-SCC athlete for the Hand girls’ tennis team this spring as the squad sets its sights on states. Photo by Wesley Bunnell/The Source

The Hand girls’ tennis team came within one victory of securing a third-consecutive state crown a year ago. Now, back with a well-rounded group that is much more enriched with the mentality to compete in the high-pressure spots, the Tigers are well on their way to taking that final step in 2023.

After a respectable 11-6 regular-season campaign in 2022, the Tigers embarked on a remarkable and memorable trek to the Class M State Tournament final as the No. 15 seed in the draw. Following wins over No. 18 St. Joseph (4-3 in the qualifying round), 2nd-seeded Ellington (6-1) for the first round, No. 7 Nonnewaug (7-0) in the quarterfinals, and 6th-ranked Valley Regional (also 7-0) in the semis, Hand saw its Cinderella run conclude with a 6-1 defeat to top-seeded Stonington in the state championship match. The Tigers finished 15-8 overall in a spring that additionally saw them qualify for the SCC Tournament and take a first-round loss to Lauralton Hall, 4-3.

2023 proved to be yet another solid year for the Tigers, collecting a strong record of 12-5. In the last week of regular season action, they won 7-0 against Lauralton Hall on May 16 prior to taking a 7-0 loss versus Amity the next day. Then on May 18, Hand took a close 4-3 defeat in battling Guilford for their third match in as many days.

Then, as the No. 3 seed in the SCC Tournament, Hand first hosted No. 6-ranked Branford in a quarterfinal on May 21 and prevailed 6-1. Against No. 2 Guilford the next day in the semis, the Tigers took a 5-2 loss to bring their overall record to 13-6 prior to states.

Second-year Head Coach John Gage explained that while he could not have asked for a better rookie campaign, aside from winning that last match, he knows the team is locked in on repeating those postseason feats this spring with a group that is long on talent, plus teamwork and synergy.

“The goal for us is to perform well in SCCs, and then get as far as we can in states and hopefully back to the finals,” said Gage following the regular season’s conclusion. “This is a terrific bunch of girls who are wonderful to work with, and team chemistry is important to us; it makes spending all of these hours together that much nicer and more enjoyable. I’m so proud of everyone’s performance in the regular season and I look forward to us going deep in the postseason.”

Team captains are seniors Laila Haraj-Sai and Libby Rogers, both of whom were also selected to the All-SCC Team. Haraj-Sai had a 13-win campaign a year ago at No. 2 singles and has committed to continue on the court at Wheaton College. Meanwhile, Rogers returned to the fold after a 19-2 record at No. 2 doubles in 2022 and is currently 12-2 at No. 1 doubles this spring with sophomore cohort Ella Helfrich.

“Laila had a fantastic year last season at No. 2 singles, compiling a 13-9 record. Laila has worked extremely hard on her mental game in the offseason, and it’s this part of her playing that I’m most impressed with. Laila is passionate about tennis, playing year-round in tournaments and is continuously honing her game and making it better,” said Gage. “Libby is extremely dedicated to the team and goes above and beyond all season to help make the team a great experience for everyone.”

Hand also holds two freshmen in its lineup with Loden Bradstreet at No. 2 singles and Emma Lee at No. 4 singles–each showcasing skills and mental intangibles that are well beyond their years.

“Both are showing enormous potential this season and will only continue to get better as they get older,” said Gage of the freshmen duo. “Loden is a very strong player with impeccable groundstrokes and a killer serve. Emma is a crafty, patient player, who wears down her opponents and tires them out.

Sophomores Ella Helfrich (another 2023 All-SCC Team representative from the Tigers), Juliana Jorens, and Mia Scott have all made the switch to doubles this year from singles last season, and fellow classmate Antoinette Lowy is occupying the third singles slot.

“Ella, Juliana, and Mia are showing enormous progress in their new roles,” said Gage. “Lowy is another patient player who has fought through several three-set marathons to pull out victories for the team.”

The lone junior in the lineup, Teagan Ariyan, has moved up to No. 2 doubles after playing No. 3 in doubles last year and, with her partner Jorens, has excelled this year to amass an 11-3 record so far.

Senior Sofia Felgate rounds out the lineup, playing No. 3 doubles with Scott, and per Gage, “together they have become a formidable team, with Felgate’s aggressive net play and Scott’s athleticism in the back court.”

The Class M State Tournament begins with qualifying round matches to be played on Friday, May 26. The first round is scheduled for Saturday, May 27. The Elite Eight in the quarterfinal round will be contested on Tuesday, May 30 and the semifinals are slated for Wednesday, May 31. The final will be held on Thursday, June 1 at Wesleyan University. Hand is seeded ninth for the draw.

The 2023 Hand roster is comprised of seniors Felgate, Haraj-Sai, Rogers; juniors of Hayden Agee, Ariyan, Kayla Johnson, Joyce Li; sophomores with Abigail Bishop, Helfrich, Jorens, Lowy, Scott; and freshmen in Bradstreet, Grace Brown, Lilah Browning, Phoebe Burt, Emma Coscia, Jasmine Couret, Claire Harriman, Lee, Maddie Martin, Brynn Poole, and Skylar Powers.

Gage, who has also been the band director at Hand since 2010, is assisted by first-year assistant coach David Buller, a math and computer science teacher at the school.