May 4, 2023 – Story and photos by Ava DiCecca
Harborwomen tennis overcame many setbacks and scored a big win over Duxbury on Wednesday. With their number one single out due to an injury, everyone was moved up and many vital players had to push themselves and compete at an even higher level than they have been this entire season. While this pressure might have gotten to some teams, the Harborwomen came out firing on all cylinders and pulled away with the win in almost every match of the day. These girls proved extremely determined and resilient as seasoned veterans remained composed and focused in competition and younger players turned nerves into motivation, proving themselves to be incredibly strong competitors.
Some younger players that stood out and impressed included freshman Sam Ruddick and sophomore Sanya Khadivi who competed as the number three and two singles respectively. Despite both stating that they were nervous going into today’s match with not having quite as much experience as some of the competition, that was not reflected in their play. Both girls dominated their matches winning in two sets and were able to put the high pressure and expectation of tougher competition to the side and just play their game.
Khadivi commented “usually going into matches I’m kind of nervous but after I start playing I shake off the nerves and get focused” and it is clear she did just that as she began to prove her dominance and make a statement very early on. Ruddick simply added that though she can sometimes feel the pressure, “it’s exciting and it’s fun” and that mindset seemed to be the key to her composure and ability to close out her match with a win.
While blown away by the performance of her younger players, Head Coach Linda Partridge praised senior Katelyn Erickson for stepping up and for her perseverance. Usually playing number two singles, she played first in this match and faced some of her toughest competition yet. Though she fell short, she stayed composed and never stopped fighting and that was more than enough to make Coach Partridge proud. These characteristics also shone through in the Harborwomen’s second doubles team, seniors Susie Anderson and Kate Radulski, who took their match to three sets. Coach Partridge commented that though they lost the first set “it didn’t get them down at all and they just kept going and won the next two.” There is a clear resilience present in all the older competitors that is unconditionally appreciated by their coaches and evidently adopted by their younger teammates.
A freshman senior duo, first doubles team Sammy Price and Maggie O’Keefe, also excelled and defeated Duxbury in two sets. The combination of the freshman’s drive and excitement and the senior’s composure and experience has proved to be one destined for success. “They were in synch working together and noticing patterns that Duxbury was going and doing against them and they were able to close it out” commented Coach Partridge who seemed incredibly happy with both the pairing and the outcome of their match.
This win was truly a collective victory as everyone stepped up and impressed despite a tough situation. This was emphasized by Coach Partridge who, when asked who some of her top performers were, stated without hesitation that “you have to give it to all of them.” The Harborwomen are a confident and well-rounded team that have proved they are more than capable of shining even in the face of adversity.