The last time Albemarle High’s girls tennis team lost was more than a month ago, back on April 17 to a talented E.C. Glass squad.
The Patriots finally met their match again Tuesday afternoon against Langley in the state quarterfinals, running into a deep, talented Saxons squad stocked with skilled players up and down the ladder. Langley pulled things together on the road and picked up a 5-1 victory in the Group AAA quarterfinals.
“When they were going out for warm-ups I watched and I knew their top three were really talented players,” said Albemarle coach Rich Lindsay. “I knew it was going to be tough.”
Albemarle’s No. 1, Megan Napolitano, went into overdrive in the third set of her match with Kathryn Emery, rolling 6-0 in the final set to close out a win.
“When you come off 6-0 as warm as it was in there (inside the Boar’s Head’s indoor courts), it says something about what’s beating in her chest,” Lindsay said.
But Napolitano’s victory became the lone win for the Patriots as Tori Kuhn barely lost a three set match with Langley’s Rorie McQuade 6-7 (7-9), 7-5, 6-0. That win by McQuade closed out the match. Each of the other Patriots lost in straight sets to their Langley opponents.
The loss ends an incredible 21-2 season for the Patriots, the Northwest Region champions. Still, Napolitano and Abby Lesnoff will compete in the state individual and doubles tournament starting June 10 in Vienna.
“There were a lot of question marks coming in as far as what we were going to be able and I was proud of the girls,” Lindsay said. “There’s 130-some teams in AAA and to be one of eight to get the chance to play (for a state title), that’s special.”
Langley 5, Albemarle 1
Singles
1. Megan Napolitano(A) d. Kathryn Emery 6-1, 7-5, 6-0
2. Kitty Branche(L) d. Abby Lesnoff 6-2, 6-0
3. Rorie McQuade(L) d. Tori Kuhn 6-7(7-9), 7-5, 6-0
4. Schuyler Tompkins(L) d. Elise Lord 6-1, 6-4
5. Lamry Le(L) d. Eva Ng 7-5, 6-2
6. Laura Damaschin(L) d. Ivy Haines(A) 6-3, 6-0
