Following a year in which the tennis season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this spring has, indeed, been extra special for the members of the Greenwich Academy and Sacred Heart Greenwich tennis teams.

Though their respective schedules haven’t included as many matches as some previous seasons, GA and Sacred Heart still had their fair share of matchups and Saturday, the match they both usually mark on their schedule finally took place.

Host Greenwich Academy and Sacred Heart renewed their rivalry for the first time since the 2019 season and GA celebrated its Senior Day with a 5-2 win in a well-played match by both squads.

“We were really worried that we weren’t going to have a lot of matches and that it was just going to be a whole lot of practices,” GA senior co-captain Elysee Barakett said. “But we were pretty lucky that we had a pretty normal season, besides the masks. Everyone is really supportive and we are working really hard to make the most of it.”

Kathryn Gregory, who played at No. 4 singles, also served as a senior co-captain for GA.

“It’s been going great, I think we’ve had eight matches now and it’s fun to see the team get to practice and play and everyone is super talented,” Gregory said. “The season has been super fun, we had such great captains last year and then my sophomore year and it’s fun to finally be in that position.”

Coached by Elizabeth Schrohe, Greenwich Academy won three of the four singles matches and two of the three doubles matchups on their way to the FAA win.

The Gators finished their season with a record of 6-2.

At the No. 1 singles spot, GA junior Lily Martucci came back to defeat Sacred Heart senior tri-captain Grace Coale, 3-6, 6-3, 10-8. The match featured plenty of long rallies and fine play by both players. In the No. 2 singles matchup, Greenwich Academy freshman Grace Genereux posted a 6-3, 6-1 win against Sacred Heart sophomore Isabel Costello.

“I thought I played well,” Genereux said. “The second set, I tried to keep it in and stayed consistent, but I also wanted to take my shots when I had a chance and keep it deep. She had points where the volleys were tough, at the end it was who stayed in the point longer and who was more patient.”

Genereux has enjoyed her first season on the varsity squad.

“Everyone on the team is super nice and even though I am the only freshman on the team, I feel like I know a lot of people,” Genereux said. “We are a close team and it was a lot of fun.”

Costello is also experiencing her first varsity season.

“I’ve been moving from No. 3 and No. 2 and it’s been a good experience, playing these better players,” Costello said. “She’s definitely improved a lot and I think it was a good, quality match. This is my first year on the team and we’re a close knit team, so it’s good.”

Ursula Vollmer, a senior tri-captain, registered a 7-5, 6-1 triumph at third singles against Greenwich Academy’s Margaret Foley.

“The season has been really fun, because obviously we didn’t have one last year, so as captain I feel like it was fun to get the girls excited about having a season,” Vollmer said. “Everyone is willing to play any position and it’s been really fun every match.”

Vollmer has seen the team, coached by Ed Metzendorf, make significant strides.

“Everyone has gotten a lot more comfortable on the court,” Vollmer said. “The younger girls have started to get into the groove and they have progressed a lot throughout the year.”

Gregory was victorious in her match against Sacred Heart’s Sia Goyaz, 6-1, 6-3.

“It was a tough match, I had to really focus on being consistent, so I had to work on just slowing down and not try to go for too much,” Gregory said.

In the No. 1 doubles match, Barakett and junior Sarah Powis were 6-1, 6-1 winners over Morgan Wilkens and Isabel Lehrman of Sacred Heart.

“It’s nice to win this match, because the other players are really great too, but I think we were able to pull together a lot of the stuff we learned throughout the season for our final match, which was really fun,” said Powis, a junior. “We have had three seasons together, so it’s pretty sad it’s our last match together.”

Said Barakett: “I’ve played tennis for GA since middle school and it feels sad, but this is Senior Day and we had a nice celebration, which also makes me feel good.”

At second doubles, Greenwich Academy senior Schuyler Sargent and junior Kate Boer notched a 6-2, 6-1 win against Frankie Marangi/Catherine Dodman.

“It was a really good way to end the season,” Sargent said. “Most of our sets went to 40-40, but Kate and I managed to pull it off.”

Said Boer: “Schuyler and I haven’t always played doubles together. But we changed the lineup a little bit and it worked really well. I think we made a good team.”

The third doubles match saw Sacred Heart’s Kaitlyn Langer and Mary Hawthorn register a 7-5, 7-5 win against Val Cuccolo/Liana Seeley. The Tigers (2-6) have a match against Rye Country Day School at Sacred Heart on Saturday.

For GA, the victory on Senior Day, capped the season.

“It was so much better than what I expected, especially with COVID and the fact that we were able to have matches and play,” Sargent said. “It was really fun and it was nice to be outside and play.”

“I will miss the seniors so much, our two captains did such a good job and Schuyler has also been a good leader for everyone on the team,” added Boer. “They bring such good energy and vibe to the team and we are really going to miss them.”