SWAMPSCOTT — Swampscott’s girls tennis team enjoyed one of its most successful seasons in program history, posting a 21-1 record with its only loss coming in the Div. 3 semifinals. Under the direction of first-year coach Emily Cilley, Swampscott was the top team in the Northeastern Conference and earned the No. 6 seed in the state tournament.
After the Big Blue started the season with big wins against fellow Div. 3 opponents Bishop Fenwick and Lynnfield, Cilley had a feeling the team was special.
“They were two very competitive matches. The fact that we were successful against them, and I knew that some of our upcoming matches were against weaker teams, I thought we could have a good start to the season,” said Cilley, Swampscott Public Schools’ Lead Nurse. “I don’t think I ever assumed we were going to win against anybody, but our first, second, and third singles are just super strong that I was confident most of the time. But I never wanted the girls to let down their guard and assume they were going to win. We tried to approach each match with an open mind and play hard.”
What made the group special was its competitiveness, according to Cilley.
“These girls are very sweet girls, but they are also very competitive,” Cilley said. “They have a goal when they go out there: to win. Without that feeling, it would be hard to be as successful as we were. Some of our players are slow starters, so we may be down to begin a match, but when they lock in, they can show their ability on the court. The want and desire to be successful is there throughout the team.”
One player who lost just one match all season was first singles standout Nikki Carr, who was named the NEC’s Player of the Year.
“You don’t think of her as a sophomore; you think of her as an older player because she’s a mature player and she’s solid out there. She has a great mindset,” Cilley said. “She has a great way of figuring out what is happening on the opposite side and is able to identify her opposition’s weaknesses and capitalize on them. Nikki is a very strong player. She has great groundstrokes, volleys, and service.”
Swampscott graduated five players, but returns its No. 1 and No. 2 singles players next spring.
“Nikki is going to be a junior, so I’m glad we have her for another two years. My second singles player, Ginger Gregoire, is going to be a sophomore. They’re going to be very difficult to beat,” Cilley said. “I have a few girls in line to play third singles next year and I think they’re going to be difficult to beat.”
Cilley praised the leadership of senior captains Ana Eccles, Ava O’Donnell, and Alexia O’Donnell, in addition to Sasha Fafel.
“They had very good leadership and were always there for the team. They got the girls moving as soon as they hit the courts for practice,” Cilley said. “Sasha was our other senior who wasn’t a captain, but easily could have been. She is probably one of the hardest-working girls on the team and just as polite as can be. She advocated for herself, always listened to instruction, and was easy to teach. Even when she wasn’t in the top-seven lineup, she was always there asking what she could do to help.”
Cilley said she’ll always remember this group because it was her first team, but she’ll also remember the celebrations and support.
“It’s my first year, so going to the Final 4, there was just so much celebration all the time, which makes it so memorable,” she said. “Working in the school system, it’s fun to be in the halls with all the teachers who were wishing us luck, congratulating us after each win, and giving me high-fives. The whole school was so supportive, which was a highlight for me. Our superintendent (Jason Calichman) and our athletic director (Kelly Wolff) went all the way to Westford to watch our match in 92-degree weather.”
