After producing a perfect regular season, one that gave them the FCIAC West Division title, the members of the Greenwich High School varsity girls tennis team certainly had an extremely impressive start to the postseason.

The Cardinals, who captured the CIAC Class LL Tournament championship in 2024, after reaching the title match of the FCIAC Tournament, seem like a team determined to add more titles to their resume this spring.

Receiving outstanding performances from each athlete, No. 1-seeded host Greenwich registered a 7-0 victory over eighth-seeded Ridgefield in the FCIAC Tennis Tournament quarterfinals on May 20th.

The decisive win moved Greenwich on to the FCIAC semifinals, where it will host fourth-seeded New Canaan on Friday (May 23rd) in a rematch of last season’s FCIAC Tournament final. Against Ridgefield, the 16-0 Cardinals won each match in straight sets, a pattern they have followed in the majority of their matches this season.

“Everyone is winning together and that team spirit feels really good,” said Greenwich junior Shining Sun, who plays at No. 1 singles. “It’s nice to know that we have come this far as a team and I know that we can go much further.”

Sun was in top form in recording a 6-1, 6-0 win over Ridgefield’s Gwen Dulecki at the No. 1 singles spot.

“I thought that it was pretty good, especially after I started warming up and playing better,” Sun said. “I was hitting some really good shots.”

“Even if I wasn’t finishing each point I was making sure to stay in it, so I got that chance to finish,” Sun continued. “Every if it meant playing some more annoying rallies in the middle.”

Junior Caitlin Mahoney swept to a 6-0, 6-0 victory for Greenwich at the No. 2 singles spot. Mahoney topped Olivia Giannettino, 6-0, 6-0.

“I was just focusing on being consistent with my shots and moving my opponent around,” Mahoney said. “I felt like it really paid off and I got a good result.”

At No. 1 doubles, the highly successful duo of senior Yume Inagawa and sophomore Cameron Sowter added another convincing win to their record. Inagawa/Sowter won in straight sets against the Tigers’ Adele Nixon and Siri Sobocinski, 6-1, 6-3, keeping their undefeated season going.

In the No. 2 doubles match, senior Emme Pecorin and junior Maddy Wilber continued their winning streak, sweeping Ridgefield’s Rocio Sanc and Julia Jolly, 6-0, 6-1.

“We were being consistent and not making as many unforced errors and going for poaching when we could,” Pecorin said.

“We were in the zone and ready to start FCIACs,” Wilber said. “Also, I think we’ve been working a lot on being consistent and studying the game and it showed up in this round.”

Izzy Everett, a senior, was dominant at third singles for the Cards, sweeping past Parker Prokopczyk, 6-0, 6-0. Fourth singles saw Avery Li win her matchup in straight sets as well for the victors.

In the No. 3 doubles match, Bella Barban and Olivia Popp teamed up for an impressive 6-0, 6-1 triumph for GHS. New Canaan, Greenwich’s FCIAC semifinal-round foe, advanced to the semis by winning against Wilton in the quarterfinals, 4-0.

The other FCIAC Tournament semifinal features third-seeded Staples at second-seeded Fairfield Ludlowe on May 23.

“I’m super excited, for the next round, it’s just the beginning, but we’ve had an amazing regular season, so I’m excited to continue on the streak of having a really good postseason,” Pecorin said.

“New Canaan was a challenge for Emme and I, but I think we definitely learned from our last match and I think we’re as ready as we can be,” Wilber noted.

Sun is looking forward to being tested against New Canaan’s successful No. 1 singles player, Leah Zheng.

“We’re playing New Canaan and that is going to be a tough match,” she said. “I’m also looking forward to it, because I feel a challenge when I play Leah.”

Cardinals coach Jerry Sulli enjoys watching the approach his team has displayed each match so far this spring, which has seen the team go undefeated.

“We have depth,” Sulli said. “All of our players from first singles to fifth doubles are extremely capable of hitting the ball back and forth. They pick their spots, they don’t try to crush every ball and they’re consistent.”

“Most of the points are being scored by their opponents mistake and that’s what we want,” Sulli continued. “They don’t beat themselves and they play well under pressure – they don’t panic.”

The semifinal-round winners will face each other in the championship match of the FCIAC Tournament on May 28th at Wilton High School.

“We’re definitely hoping to go all the way for FCIACs and states,” Mahoney said. “I think the undefeated season proves to us that we can do it and that we are capable. Everyone on our team is excited to keep that momentum going.”