WHS girls’ tennis win streak continues after sweeping Biddeford

By Matt Pascarella

Windham girls’ tennis went into a home match against Biddeford after winning two matches in a row and they made it three straight by defeating the Tigers 5-0 at Windham High School on Monday, May 5.

Windham senior Afomiya Timerga returns a shot by her
Biddeford opponent during a girls' prep tennis match on
Monday, May 2 at Windham High School.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

“The team is off to a great start,” said Windham girls’ tennis coach Katy Dresnok. “Our team is growing and rising up to more challenging matches. My goals for the doubles is to really work with strategy and to encourage proper placement and communication among the partners and really, really focus on placement over power. With my singles we’ve been working really hard on serving and recovering, and foot work; if they can get the fundamentals down, they seem to improve at a much faster speed. Tennis is a very mental game, so if the player can stay calm and just take it one point at a time, with a good strong mindset that’s going to overpower anything. Today wasn’t our normal ladder ... today was a really great win considering people played in different positions, showing team versatility.”

In the singles matches, Windham junior Jasmine Lucas won her sets 6-4 and 6-2; sophomore Denali Momot won her sets 6-2 and 6-0 and senior Afomiya Timerga won her matches, 6-4 and 6-2.

“At first the wind wasn’t great, but as I got into it, it was a good match,” said Lucas. “I think my ground strokes were pretty strong, my serve wasn’t as consistent as I’d like it to be, but towards the end it got good. I’ve definitely gotten more consistent, this is my first year being first singles, so that was kind of intimidating at first, but now I’m in a good rhythm.”

Lucas enjoys being in the first singles position for WHS and says it makes her play harder.

In the doubles matches, Windham senior Zoe Dries, and junior Sydney Harmon won 6-2 and 6-1. Junior Ellise Gallop and Grace Hansen won 6-1 and 6-1.

“We did pretty good,” said Dries. “We tried to play our game most of the time, we pulled through, we won; we were really good on net both of us; we had some really good long balls.”

Dries said that she feels communication needs improvement and making good solid contact on the ball, not wonky hits.

Harmon and Dries said they understand each other’s play a lot better, they know where each other’s going to be.

“Our serves were pretty good and consistent throughout the whole game and kind of reading where they were,” said Harmon. “If they were on one side making sure we go to the other side and finishing the point. Definitely the newer players have gotten more experience, and rallies have been longer from three or four weeks ago. Consistency with placement is a whole lot better and stronger now.” <