Despite Loss, Avon High Girls Tennis Still Atop NCCC

Hot fudge sundaes for everyone!

OK, a brief explanation: before the season started, girls tennis head coach Kathy Waddington jokingly promised her charges that she would treat them to hot fudge sundaes if they defeated Avon High in the regular season.

Waddington will happily keep her promise at practice on April 26, as the Bears defeated the Falcons 4-3 on Thursday in a competition that came down to the last two matches of the afternoon.

“They’re a tough team and they aren’t used to losing,” Waddington said. “It was a great match; I’m going to enjoy it.”

Indeed, Granby Memorial’s No. 2 singles player Emily Ohannessian broke a 3-3 tie with a grueling two-hour-45-minute marathon victory over Avon’s Mary Pearce 1-6, 7-6, 6-3.

Ohannessian said afterward that she was “a little tired.”

“We didn’t expect to beat them, so it feels good,” Ohannessian said. “It was a team effort.”

In another key match at No. 1 doubles, Granby Memorial’s Maddy Dixon and Paige Lee combined to defeat Madeline Clark and Gaby Berns 6-1, 6-7, 7-5.

It was the first time that the Bears defeated Avon in girls tennis since 2006, according to Gerry deSimas of the Collinsville Press. Avon High regular season losses are rare; it was just the fourth regular-season loss for Joel Ziff since he took over the team six years ago. His career record, including state tournament play, is 104-8, and Avon went 23-1 last season, including a trip to the state Class M finals.

The Bears’ victory also created a logjam atop the North Central Connecticut Conference with Granby Memorial (5-1), Avon High (6-1), Suffield (6-1) and Ellington (6-1) all with just one loss on the year.

All of which means that Avon’s traditional dominance in the NCCC, at least for a year, has been put on hiatus.

“Today came down to the final two matches and was obviously a fantastic match. Granby clearly was the better team today and now the NCCC is incredibly exciting,” Ziff wrote in an e-mail. “It’s an awesome four-way race.”

Granby Memorial has come in second the past two years to Avon High and the Bears hope the victory will serve as a springboard to the conference crown.

But the Falcons aren’t cede their grip on the conference title without a fight.

“On the bus ride home after today's loss, it was unanimously decided that the team’s goal is to repeat as NCCC champions one way or another no matter how many players we lose,” Ziff said. “While very inexperienced with comparable skills to the others three teams in contention, our team is very driven.”

If Avon is to remain perched atop the NCCC, it will have to do so without No. 1 singles player Shivani Sinha, who was lost for the season after sustaining a knee injury in the first match of the year.

“Losing our senior captain No. 1 player Shivani Sinha most likely for the year has been very devastating,” Ziff wrote. “This year we return two starters from last year and 4 total players from last year’s team (which also graduated 8 starters from the year before). Overall I am thrilled that a team of not only new varsity tennis players, but many who are just starting tennis can accomplish a 6-1 record so far this season.”

Ziff also credited Pearce’s senior leadership, particularly with continuing the winning traditions on the team.

“Without her leadership and play we wouldn't be in contention,” Ziff said.

Avon is scheduled to face East Granby on Tuesday at home at Sycamore Park at 3:45 p.m., while Granby Memorial squares off against Windsor Locks on Monday at 3:45 p.m.

No. 1 Singles: Pam Fetzer (A) def. Emma Allen (G)  6-1, 6-1
No. 2 Singles: Emily Ohannessian (G) def. Mary Pearce (A)  1-6, 7-6, 6-3
No. 3 Singles: Laura Snyder (G) def. Cathryn Jenner (A)  6-0, 6-0
No. 4 Singles: Jess Massey (G) def. Sara Sanchez (A)  6-0, 6-0

No. 1 Doubles: Paige Lee and Maddy Dixon (G) def. Madeline Clark and Gaby Berns (A) 6-1, 6-7, 7-5
No. 2 Doubles: Nicky Norman and Hannah Clark (A) def Holly Salter and McKenzie Newton (G) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
No. 3 Doubles: Rachel Barber and Jade Yen (A) def  Madi Pfaff and Anna Fedenyuk  6-3, 6-3