log in

Tennis

Chatham second doubles player Sydney Berkson hits a backhand during the 2018 MCT Tennis finals. Berkson teamed with Emma Sheldon and prevailed at second doubles for the Cougars, who won their sixth consecutive title.

Cougars run MCT streak to six

RANDOLPH _ Chatham's Sydney Berkson and Emma Sheldon were sweating through a first set tie-breaker at second doubles when players began finishing their matches during the Morris County Girls Tennis Tournament finals. Berkson and Sheldon consider every point, every match, important but had no idea how critical their match was until they prevailed, 7-6 (7-3), 6-0, over Morristown-Beard's Sophia Maney and Emma Duffy and their coach, James Cai, approached them. "High five," a smiling Cai said, putting his right hand up. "You just won the county title." The Cougars' sixth consecutive championship, attained on Sunday, Sept. 23 at County College…
Lena Parsch of Chatham claimed the second doubles title at the 2017 Morris County Girls Tennis Tournament.

Cougars take fifth MCT crown

RANDOLPH _ Lena Parsch of Chatham was in a Morris County Tennis Tournament final as a freshman, vying for top honors at third singles, but that moment seemed so long ago. Parsch, who now plays second singles, got a second chance as a senior and wasn't going to be satisfied going home as the runner-up. The last one on the courts at County College of Morris, Parsch battled the heat and coped with the slowdown tactics of Kinnelon's Agatha Malinowski and prevailed, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, to take the second singles title on Sunday, Sept. 24. The victory was doubly sweet…
Danielle Langer, above, and Leah Mazie of Montville advanced to the MCT semifinals in first doubles.

Montville is doubly good in MCT

RANDOLPH _ Montville's Danielle Langer and Leah Mazie assumed they'd be on the outside of the chain-link fence cheering on their teammates on the second day of the Morris County Girls Tennis Tournament. Instead, Langer and Mazie, the Mustangs' unseeded first doubles team, will be on the court at County College of Morris battling it out in the semifinals in hopes of gaining a title. Langer and Mazie, both seniors, buzzed through their preliminary, first round and quarterfinal matches versus Mount Olive, Mendham and Villa Walsh on Saturday, Sept. 23 to advance to the semis. "I'm excited, really excited," Langer…
Kinnelon sophomore Britany Lau defeated Scarlett Blydenburgh to garner her first MCT singles title.

Lau stuns Blydenburgh

RANDOLPH _ "Get Laud" read one of the posters held up by Britany Lau's cheering section at the Morris County Girls Tennis Tournament. Lau, a Kinnelon sophomore, complied, pleasing her supporters with a resounding 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (8-6) upset of three-time defending champion and top-seeded Scarlett Blydenburgh of Chatham in the first singles final on Sunday, Sept. 25 at County College of Morris. The duo spent nearly two and a half hours on the court, engaging in a match that was hard fought and riddled with twists and turns. Blydenburgh escaped the 2015 title match with a 6-4, 7-6 (6-4) victory. The tiebreaker and…
Stef Elling of Morristown, seeded third at first singles, advanced to the MCT semifinals.

Elling back in MCT semis

RANDOLPH _ Morristown's Stef Elling arrived at the Morris County Tennis Tournament with absolutely no expectations. Elling, a senior, has been a semifinalist all three times she competed in the MCT yet isn't seeking a berth in the first singles final. She is grateful simply to be here and to exhibit her serves, volleys and net game. After suffering a fracture to her left tibial plateau, most commonly known as a broken knee, in May, Elling didn't anticipate being fully recovered by now and back to swinging a racket. That's why her goal is simply to enjoy her last MCT without pressure. Despite the…
Ana Zorlas, a sophomore, has been successful along with Grace Chuan at second doubles.

Mtn. Lakes went the distance

MOUNTAIN LAKES _ Ginny O'Donnell has immense faith in and respect for the Mountain Lakes girls tennis team. No way, though, did O'Donnell think the Lakers, younger than they've been in awhile, would be vying for a sectional title.
Chatham's Seden Agar, above, took top honors at second singles. First singles titlist Scarlett Blydenburgh is pictured in the slideshow.

Third MCT title for Chatham

RANDOLPH _ Chatham girls tennis coach James Cai was supposed to be sleeping. Instead, Cai spent much of Saturday night wide awake trying to take a peek at the near future. Cai was worried about what would happen on the second day of the Morris County Tournament.
In the slideshow, fifth-seeded Stef Elling of Morristown gained the MCT semifinals.

Acampora moves into semifinals

RANDOLPH _ Morristown second singles player Meghan Acampora thrives with her forehand, which features abundant topspin, and a nasty backhand slice. Acampora, a junior, typically is consistent with her serves and rarely double faults. Earlier this season, her high-level game enabled her to triumph in 69 consecutive games.
Chatham's Seden Agar is one of two freshmen in the lineup.

Chatham aiming for threepeat

MONTVILLE _ Seden Agar, Chatham's second singles player, did her very best to ignore her pulled left hamstring. Agar, a freshman, didn't want anyone to know about her injury when she was trading shots with Montville senior Erin Sanzone. All she wanted to do was survive one of the toughest matches of her young career and grind out a victory.
Kaveesha Kodituwakku, a three-year starter for the Bombers, gets ready to return a forehand.

Boonton is making net gains

BOONTON _ Carly McDaniel had never played tennis before. Sarah Reed, after some prodding, bought her racket the day before the first practice. Jordyn Ferrante, a high school junior, had a bit of an advantage, having spent a little time on the court - as a third grader.
 facebook.com/soarNJ