The Holy Cross girls tennis team lost just once during the regular season, and picked up some major victories along the way.
The biggest regular season victories came during a Thursday doubleheader on May 12. Holy Cross knocked off Kennedy, 5-2, at home, then traveled to Crestbrook Park to face NVL power Watertown. The Crusaders bested the hosts in a tight matchup, 4-3.
In the NVL team tournament, Holy Cross turned up its play. The Crusaders shut out St. Paul in the quarterfinal round, 7-0, then beat Woodland in the semifinal round. Holy Cross played Watertown again in the NVL final, but emerged the second time with a 5-2 victory. The Crusaders won 1, 2 and 3 singles behind junior captain Michaela Bell, senior captain Ella Mancini and Kaya Bonderenko. Caitlyn Coletti and Julia Bell took the win at No. 2 doubles while C.C. Bunlue and Lyvia Bartoli claimed victory at No. 3 doubles. The Crusaders won their first NVL championship in 20 years.
Holy Cross is the No. 2 seed in the Class S state tournament and faces a familiar foe Tuesday in the first round. No. 18 St. Paul upended No. 15 Bolton, 4-3, in Bolton in a qualifying round matchup on May 27. The Falcons were tied, 3-3, with the Bulldogs, and it came down to No. 4 singles. Victoria Chandler won, 7-6, 6-2, to send St. Paul to a postseason rematch against Holy Cross.
GALLERY: Here are my photos from that NVL quarterfinal.
PHOTO CAPTION: Holy Cross senior captain Ella Mancini, seen here during a May 18 NVL quarterfinal against St. Paul, and the Crusaders won the league championship for the first time in 2002. Their first matchup in the Class S state tournament is a postseason rematch against the Falcons. (Copyright, Sports on CT-69)
