GLOUCESTER — The Manchester Essex and Ipswich girls tennis teams split a pair of wildly competitive regular season matches this spring, both earning wins on their home courts.
So it was only fitting that the two Cape Ann League rivals met again on neutral territory for a chance to advance to the Division 4 state championship.
Clashing at Gloucester High School on Monday afternoon, the high pressure, Final Four affair once again could’ve gone either way. But the Hornets’ stellar singles cast of Sarah Cort, Grace Scarbrough and Ellen Gilson — all of whom were named to the All-CAL team — were ultimately too much for Ipswich to handle.
The result was the third straight 3-2 decision between the two foes, with this round going to head coach Barrett Alston and Manchester Essex.
With the win, the Hornets get back in the title match for the second straight year where they will likely rematch with another CAL power, Hamilton-Wenham, which is vying for its fifth consecutive D4 crown.
“They (performed) as they have all year; they’ve barely lost,” Alston said of his gifted trio of singles standouts, who all won in straight sets to send their team to victory. “I think combined they’ve lost two matches all year, so that continued today under pressure.”
In helping the Hornets reach their 13th ever state title match, Cort — who had yet to drop a single game in three prior playoff bouts — started things off with a convincing 6-3, 6-1 victory over Mae Borgman at first singles.
“She’s just become so consistent with the ability to finish points, and she’s legit gotten better this year over the course of the past month especially,” Alston said of Cort. “She’s just been dominant and carried that momentum through today.”
At second singles, Scarbrough had her hands full with Ipswich’s Lalia Harb, who took an early 5-2 lead in set No. 1 before the Hornets’ star found her groove. Scarbrough seemingly flipped a switch, winning the next five games to take the first set, 7-5, before cruising for a 6-2 win in the next set to seal the deal.
“She started off a little slow today and then just totally flipped it. I think she just kind of figured out that balance between being consistent and when to attack,” said Alston.
Gilson, a freshman, added an impressive 6-3, 6-2 decision over Sarah Belford at third singles, putting the icing on the cake to the Hornets team victory. Despite what the final score might suggest, that match featured some incredibly lengthy rallies. Belford deserves a ton of credit for staying alive as long as she did, trailing 5-0 in the second set before winning two straight games and forcing a number of deuce points in the next one before Gilson finally pulled through.
“Their singles are just super strong and you know what? We were competitive today and I think the experience is going to help us,” said Ipswich head coach Gardy O’Flynn, his team having advanced to the program’s first-ever Final Four. “All three of my singles players are returning (next year), so I think that experience of being here is going to propel them and allow them to understand the environment of this.”
Ipswich would solidify the team scoring by snatching wins in both doubles matches.
Sisters Abbie and Phoebe Allen impressed with a swift 6-2, 6-2 triumph over Hornets’ tandem Maeve McArdle and Lila Braier, while Eve Melzack and Anna Kalinowski took down Sophia Eagan and Annie Kent in a marathon three-setter, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6.
But it’s Manchester that moves on, and Alston and his group couldn’t be more excited for a potential rematch with the Generals, who will have to get through Bromfield on Thursday afternoon first.
“We’d love another crack at them for sure. We split with them 3-2 and 3-2, and I’m sure it will be close again,” said Alston. “It’s really close across the board and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”