Girls tennis streak is at 74 league matches
The Parkland girls tennis team has put together an impressive streak that dates back a number of years.
While Monday's match against Pocono Mountain East wouldn't affect their current winning streak of 74 consecutive league matches, the Trojans looked just as impressive as they've had all season long. No match went past two sets, and the Trojans (13-0 overall; 9-0 in LVC) handled the Cardinals, 7-0, at Parkland High School on Monday afternoon.
"I'm happy that we have a really strong team," said No. 1 singles player Jenna Peng. " It just helps us to see if we can make it to states this year."
"It is impressive," head coach George Grim said. "Because you can lose a couple good players, and unless you're restocking, you can have your down years."
The Trojans' three main singles players have had no trouble on the season thus far, and that continued against the Cardinals. In fact, Peng (9-0), No. 2 singles player Anna Qiu (10-0) and No. 3 singles player TuQuyen Pham (11-0) haven't lost a set all season.
Peng defeated Elizabeth Bartoli 6-1, 6-1, and both Qiu and Pham beat their opponents by a score of 6-0, 6-1.
"I've just been working on how to play smarter," Peng said. "I've been trying to be more aggressive and be more consistent."
Colleen Wylie, who played singles last season, has seen time in both singles and doubles this season, but has mainly represented the Trojans' first doubles team. She's a combined 10-0 on the season, including 3-0 in singles play.
"I always knew that she was a good doubles player," head coach George Grim said. "And Colleen, with her height [and] her volleying skills, she's a very strong doubles player."
She has combined to go 7-0 with Rachel Wong (11-1) in the second doubles pair. The two have developed a certain amount of chemistry over the course of the season, and Monday's 6-0, 6-4 win continued their solid play on the season.
"It was hard at first, but after awhile you get used to it and it's actually really fun," Wylie said. "I feel like you have to mesh with your doubles partner, and me and Rachel have a good doubles partner connection."
The Trojans' No. 2 doubles pair of Shelby Knafo (11-1) and Emily Hanson (11-1) won 6-1, 6-1 Monday. The No. 3 doubles team of Libby Gardner (10-1) and Kristen McCarty (11-1) had no trouble in their 6-2, 6-1 victory. Mallory Simonton (8-2) and Riley Simonton (7-0) also won, 6-1, 6-1, in the last doubles match.
The Trojans were able to extend that conference winning streak to 75 games after Tuesday's 6-1 win over Nazareth.
They'll next host Northampton on Thursday. Match time is set for 3:30 p.m.