Whenever the Greenwich Academy and Hopkins School varsity tennis teams meet this time of year it seems as though the FAA regular season championship is at stake and that was the case once again, when the Gators and Hilltoppers renewed their rivalry on May 7.

Hopkins pulled out close wins against GA the past three seasons on its way to winning the FAA title, but it was Greenwich Academy’s turn to capture the championship this season.

In a matchup featuring two outstanding, undefeated teams, it was Greenwich Academy that continued its perfect season, edging visiting Hopkins School, 4-3. Coached by Elizabeth Schrohe, GA won all three doubles matches and one singles matchup en route to defeating their toughest FAA opponent on May 7.

Making the victory even more special for Greenwich Academy was the fact that the squad celebrated its Senior Day.

“It’s been awesome, we’ve been undefeated so far,” said Charlotte Pastel, a four-season member of GA’s varsity team, who is one of the squad’s seniors. “The past three years, we’ve lost 4-3, they’ve been pretty crushing losses, so I’ve never beaten them all through high school.”

That changed with Wednesday’s 4-3 win for Greenwich Academy, which is 8-0 in the Fairchester Athletic Association and sports a record of 10-0 overall. Indeed, being a member of GA’s super successful tennis program has been a time to cherish for Pastel.

“There’s something so special about the comradery of our team,” Pastel said. “Honestly, it’s been the highlight of my high school experience. I’m so sad that this is my last big match.”

Greenwich Academy improved its record to 7-0 with its 4-3 victory over Hopkins, while the Hilltoppers went to 7-1. The Gators then clinched the FAA regular season championship by registering a 7-0 triumph on the road against Rye Country Day School on May 8.

Their home match versus Hopkins was GA’s closest of the season so far this spring, as it has won the rest of its matchups by scores of either 7-0 or 6-1. The Gators-Hilltoppers matchup was tied at 3-3 with the No. 3 doubles match being the deciding matchup.

At. No. 3 doubles, sophomores Gioa Brown and Maggie Hertzmark defeated their Hopkins opponents, 6-4, 7-5. Immediately after the GA duo won their final point, their teammates rushed to greet them in joyous celebration.

“It’s scary, but you have to separate what’s happening and your playing, so I just tried to keep that as separate as possible and stay with every point,” Brown said of playing in a deciding match with so much at stake. “Because, if I kept thinking of the fact that it was the deciding match, it would have been a lot harder.”

It was a reversal of fortunes for GA in its latest meeting versus Hopkins, which posted tough wins to win the FAA regular season title in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

“We haven’t won this match in three years, so this felt pretty big, especially senior year,” Hertzmark said. “I think a lot of it came down to we weren’t just doing it for us, we were doing it for the seniors and finally giving them the win.”

“I played every point as hard as I could and just hoped for the best,” Brown noted. “This was definitely a big one, we were all mentally preparing for this all season.”

In the No. 1 doubles match, senior Elsa Burgess and junior Ella Loehnis were victorious against their Hopkins opponents, 6-1, 7-5. Burgess and Loehnis exhibited fine teamwork and shot making throughout their victory at the top doubles spot.

“This is one of our biggest rivals and I feel like every year its one of our last matches, so there’s a lot of emotion and anticipation for it,” Burgess said following she and Loehnis’ win. “It’s something that we’ve worked toward winning every year.”

GA’s No. 1 doubles team is accustomed to playing in significant high-pressure matches.

“Obviously, they’re such a great team and we have so much fun playing them,” Loehnis said. “We had one of the most competitive matches that we had all year besides Hotchkiss. We’ve definitely been working hard. I know in the past, it’s always been a close match between us, so I’m really glad that we could win today on Senior Day.”

“We’ve had a really strong season. Especially coming off two prior seasons together,” Loehnis continued. “We are comfortable making adjustments together.”

The No. 2 doubles match saw junior Mia Jones and eighth grader Annie Sieg register a hard-fought 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 10-5 victory over their formidable Hopkins foes.

“It was intense, the first set we were just trying to find our groove and then the tiebreaker in the first set was really close, it was 8-6,” Jones said. “So, we were just trying to make it through that tiebreaker. The second set, they played a great, great match, they deserved every single point they won and then in the tiebreaker, we had to realize it was anybody’s game at this point, so we took it point-by-point and hyped each other up.”

Said Sieg, who is in her first season on the varsity squad: “It was really intense and exciting, we knew they were going to be really good players. I feel like everyone was excited and brought the energy. This is my first year on the team, so it’s very cool.”

“We’ve won every match so far,” Jones said of their undefeated record at second doubles. “We’ve had some really tough matches and this was one of our hardest one so far. We’re excited to see them again in the FAA Tournament.”

Lily Bragg, a freshman, is coming off a strong season as an eighth grader in 2024 and has turned in a successful 2025 campaign at No. 1 singles for the Gators. Bragg played well against Hopkins’ standout athlete at first singles in a 6-3, 6-2 loss.

“I knew she was really good, so I just wanted to play well with nothing to lose and I’m proud of myself,” Bragg said of her match at the top doubles position against Hopkins. “No. 1 singles has been fun, all the matches are really hard. Every single one I have to be prepared, because they have been long, tough matches. It’s really good for my tennis and it’s just fun to play.”

The Gators’ No. 1 singles player is enjoying the varsity experience she has already gained as a freshman.

“It’s been really great, as a team we all have a unique bond and all our personalities mix really well,” Bragg noted. “Playing together, we build each other up and it’s been a really good season in terms of tennis.”

Pastel also played hard and well in a 6-2, 6-2 loss versus her Hopkins foe. She has won all but one of her matches so far this season for GA at the No. 2 singles spot, her first loss being the match against Hopkins.

“No. 2 singles has been great, this is the first match that I have lost,” Pastel said. “She (Hopkins’ No. 2 player) is such a great player, so it was a tough one, but I definitely think I played well. It’s been a good spot to play at. Everyone on the team has pushed me to become such a better player.”

Pastel is heading to the University of Virginia, where she will continue her squash career. She has enjoyed an exceptional squash career at Greenwich Academy, helping GA win the team title at the U.S. High School Squash Championships four consecutive seasons. Greenwich Academy has won nine straight national squash championships overall, its latest coming this past February in Philadelphia.

“That’s been great too, we’ve won nationals all four of my years,” Pastel said of her squash days at GA. “We’ve been a very dominant team. My freshman and sophomore year, the competition was definitely a lot stronger. The last two years, the team has gotten even better. It’s been great.”:

Senior Emily Sherman, who has also provided stellar play in singles competition for GA at No. 3 singles, displayed a fine effort in her match against Hopkins. Sherman was edged by her Hopkins opponent, 4-6, 6-4, 10-5. In the No. 4 singles match, Shields McClure gave the Gators at 6-2, 6-1 triumph.

Up next for Greenwich Academy is the FAA Tournament, which begins May 10 at Greens Farms Academy in Westport. The second day of the FAA tourney is scheduled to take place on May 12 at Hopkins School in New Haven.

“We would both love to win the FAA doubles title that we’ve been grasping for the two years we’ve been partners,” Loehnis said. “We’ve come really close twice. Both times we played Hopkins in the finals and we’ve come up short, but I think this year we’ve worked really hard and we put a lot of effort into it. I think that’s our ultimate goal.”