E.O. Smith Girls Tennis Falls to Tolland 6-1

The E.O. Smith girls tennis team fell to Tolland 6-1 on Wednesday at Tolland High School, dropping to 10-4 on the season.

The Panthers loss gave the Eagles their fourth straight team victory, which stretched Tolland's record to 9-4 on the year. It started and ended with fantastic singles play, as the Eagles swept all four of those matches.

Last on the courts were E.O. Smith’s Katie Brvenik and Tolland’s Jessi Rhodes who easily provided the match of the day. Rhodes defeated her fellow No. 2 ranked counterpart 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (8-6) in a marathon that drew a crowd of parents and teammates. The match ended with Rhodes watching a return shot squeak wide on match point of a tiebreaker.

The other three singles matches had long since completed by the time Rhodes and Brvenik were shaking hands at center court. Tolland’s No. 3 player Katie Rhodes finished off Sabiha Madraswalla 6-1, 6-2. Meanwhile, No. 4 Nikki Halladay grabbed a straight set victory over E.O. Smith’s Carolyn Brown, 6-2, 6-2.

Tolland's Sarah Anischik, also won in two sets, taking out a talented Daphne Myers 6-3, 6-3.

On the doubles side, E.O. Smith's Erica Tremko and Kaylyn Rogers bested Tolland’s No. 1 team of Allison Waterfield and Melissa Kenney, 7-5, 6-2.

The No. 2 Tolland team of Jackie Wolff and Michelle Zimmerman took away a 6-2, 6-3 straight sets win, while No. 3 Rachel Taker and Rebecca Heilman also won in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2.

The Panthers will close out the season this afternoon at Manchester.