The boys and girls tennis teams faced off against Kecoughtan, a Peninsula District rival, on April 14, 2022. The boys played at home on the Huntington tennis courts while the girls were away at the Kecoughtan courts. 

The girls accomplished an impressive clean sweep win, with a final score of 9-0. There were singles match wins from Tori Epps, Ariel Rylander, Isabel Dreyer, Erin Pridgen, Sophie Adkins, and Megan Curtis along with doubles wins from the Epps/Rylander, Dreyer/Pridgen, and Adkins/Curtis pairs. This is a big improvement from their Tuesday match against Warhill, where they only scored twice. Adkins, senior and girls captain, is impressed by the chemistry her young team has built. “We were able to plan team bonding events and have more interaction between the boys and girls teams,” said Adkins. This has been a refreshing change compared to the COVID isolation she endured during her last two seasons. She says the team is “still learning but has had a great experience working together.” 

The boys were also victorious in the same 9-0 manner. This is their third consecutive clean sweep, with singles wins from Matthew Onoff, Joshua Blankenship, Lane Brock, David Ellington, Gonzalo Torres-Rallo, and Braxton Ward plus doubles wins from Blankenship/Brock, Onoff/Dangerfield, and Torres-Rallo/Ward pairs. Boys coach April Herlitz said that Blankenship is serving as captain this year and “has done an amazing job leading the boys team.” Along with strong leadership, she also said the team has “developed an incredible bond and chemistry,” since most of the team has been playing together since freshman year; over half the starters are seniors. This amazing feat combined with impressive contributions from the rest of the team sets the Monarchs up nicely for postseason play. Herlitz attributes this success to their collaboration with the girls team, which has “benefitted the tennis team as a whole.” 

You can catch the boys and girls tennis teams in action at their upcoming games listed below: