Berkshire
The girls hosted two teams Jan. 22, taking the courts first against Berkshire and earning a 4-3 win. The girls knew that the visitors would have the edge at the top of the ladder. Sure enough, their outstanding No. 1 won in three, but not without a great fight from Kaylee Hunt '20, who earned a respectable 4, 7, 5 score line. Ellie Bailey '21 also turned in a great effort at No. 2, pushing Berkshire's No. 1 from the previous two years to four games (6, (8), 4, 4). At No. 3, Nicole Smith '23 gave her higher-rated opponent all she could handle, taking a 2-1 lead before falling in five (6, (9), (9), 6, 5). After that the tide turned quickly, with all of the remaining matches going to the Martlets 3-0. That said, a shoutout goes to captain Rebecca Sargent '20, who rose to the challenge of playing a must-win match, making her 9, 8, 3 victory at No. 4 look easier than it was. The balance of the wins, in order, were earned by Clara Ekholm '20, Eve Cathcart '20, Gemma Green '21 and Lauren Way '20.
Pomfret
The second set of matches for the day saw the Martlets earning a sweep of Pomfret. Playing without No. 3 Nicole Smith '23 and No. 5 Clara Ekholm '20, who were protecting injuries, most of the team played up. Shelby Oken '22 and Georgia Nolan '20 stepped in to round out the lineup and more than held their own, both winning 3-0, at Nos. 7 and 8, respectively. Also earning dominant wins were Lauren Way '20 at No. 6, Rebecca Sargent '20 at No. 3, Ellie Bailey '21 at No. 2 and Kaylee Hunt '20 at No. 1. In the two tightest matches, Eve Cathcart '20 and Gemma Green '21 both showed grit in bouncing back from tight first-game losses to win in four: Cathcart (10), 11, 5, 8 at No. 4, and Green (8), 4, 6, 10 at No. 5.