Flexible Benet trumps Glenbard West
No matter how you shuffle the deck, Benet's aces seem to come out on top.
In a scrambled format on Monday — one singles and six doubles matches — the Redwings defeated host Glenbard West 5-2.
Both teams have singles players who were not quite ready to play due to either injury or illness, but the meet was played in order to give everyone else a good tune-up leading up to next weekend's conference tournaments.
Benet coach Bob Comerford had the opportunity to mix up his two top doubles teams to see how all four girls would fare with a different partner against a pair of Glenbard West state-qualifying doubles teams.
First doubles Kim Simmons was paired with second doubles Mary Beth King and they won 6-0, 6-1 over Samantha Reedy and Molly Hennessy, while Simmons' long-time partner Madeline Carney and King's partner Daniella Reyes won their match 7-6 (7-2), 6-0 over the Hilltoppers' Hannah Foth and Maddie Morris,
“There were one or two miscommunications for both teams in the first set,” said Comerford. “Because it was the first time the new partnerships ever played together. But they're all such shot-makers that they quickly looked as if they were our regular teams. They know how to take care of the positioning and the decision-making.”
“I've played with Kim for three years but Daniella is a great player,” said Carney. “Her groundstrokes are so good. She set me up at the net and her serves were real strong. In the first set we were just getting used to each other, but in the second set we were really grooving.”
Reyes praised the Glenbard West doubles team.
“It was a good tough match to face them this week,” said Reyes. “They have great volleys. Their poaching at the net really kept us on our toes.”
Comerford sees his duos of Carver and Simmons, King and Reyes as two first-doubles teams, as both finished 12-16 at state last year. Likewise, singles Cassie Kovach and Leah Tzakis, both of whom missed Monday's meet, give the Redwings a pair of first-singles players.
Glenbard West's victories came from Aly Casolino, who won the only singles match 6-4, 6-0, and Drew Menzel and Elizabeth Ficarella, who took the fifth-doubles 6-4, 6-2.
“Benet is a really good team, top five or maybe even top three in state,” said Glenbard West coach Jim Valleskey. “We know if we play them close we have an idea of where we may finish. We still have to bring our game up a little but it helps to play them.”
The Hilltoppers played without singles players Meredith Maltby and Ali Bush. Both coaches said their singles will be ready for the conference tournaments.