For the first time in school history the Hand girls’ tennis team has won the Southern Connecticut Conference and state titles in the same season. The Tigers capped off a spectacular campaign on June 1 by knocking off the tournament’s top seed East Lyme, 7-0.

“This year this team had a great season because we won some huge games and lost the fewest matches and we won SCC’s and states,” said Hand coach Kitty Palmer. “They are all special, but this one was about being so successful.”

Hand won its first Class M State title a season ago, but this year marked the first time it was the conference’s and state’s best. Though the championship match pitted the Tigers against East Lyme, it was the semifinal match the day before that set the tone. Hand, the No. 2 seed, knocked off North Haven in the semifinal despite trailing 3-0 after No. 1, 2, and 4 singles players all quickly lost. But, Hand battled back, sweeping the doubles play and waiting over four hours for No. 3 singles player Melissa Parker to finish and win her match, punching the Tigers’ ticket to the final.

In the final all of the Tigers returned to form as No. 1 singles player, senior co-captain Taylor Fay, won 6-3, 6-0; Rachel Petrini at No. 2 earned a 6-1, 6-1 victory, with Megan Sosenky coming through in No. 3 (7-5, 6-2). Just like she was in the SCC final and in the quarterfinal, Parker was the last to finish, battling her way to a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 win.

Hand was again dominant in doubles play as the top pairing of Claudia Lohn and Gabby Diotalevi cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 victory; the No. 2 team of Nicole Cahill and senior co-captain Callie Swiggett won 6-2, 6-0; and Alyssa Fleischman and Chloe Squitiero sealed the title with a 6-0, 6-0 win.

For the full game story, see the June 7 issue of the Source.