Titans ready for new challenge in Division I

Posted 9/9/14

It was a great run in Division II for the Toll Gate girls’ tennis team. Now the Titans will see if they can start another one in the state’s highest division.

On the heels of six consecutive …

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Titans ready for new challenge in Division I

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It was a great run in Division II for the Toll Gate girls’ tennis team. Now the Titans will see if they can start another one in the state’s highest division.

On the heels of six consecutive years with a .500 or better record, capped with a 12-0 season and a D-II finals appearance last season, Toll Gate moved up to Division I this year as part of Rhode Island Interscholastic League realignment.

The results have already been solid, as the Titans are 1-1 thus far, with a 4-3 loss to perennial power North Kingstown and a 4-3 win against Lincoln School.

They expect more of the same. While last season they could pencil in wins for a lot of the matches before even showing up to the courts, the biggest difference in D-I should be the competitiveness of each match.

Toll Gate hopes it can be up to the challenge.

“We were winning pretty easily last year in most of our matches,” said head coach Gary Gorman. “Now we’re being challenged. We can see that the level has gone up.”

Easing the transition and providing a little more optimism not only for this year, but for the future, is a solid freshman class, including four freshmen in the starting lineup.

Toll Gate also only graduated one singles player from last year, meaning it has a talented group back in the fold.

“They’re all happy with the team this year,” Gorman said. “Good camaraderie. They’ve had some fundraising, and the team bonding is phenomenal. They’ve gotten these freshmen right in.”

Unexpectedly jumping into the No. 1 spot on the ladder is freshman Viansa Portesi. In her first high school match, she overcame a 2-6 first set loss to defeat North Kingstown’s Taylor Masi 6-1 in each of the next two sets.

She lost her second match against Lincoln School.

Gorman was impressed with the way Portesi rose to the No. 1 spot in practice.

“I was shocked,” he said. “She beat everybody.”

Playing No. 2 is junior Caroline Waggoner, who played No. 1 for the team last season. Right behind her is Arianna Rizzo at No. 3. Rizzo played No. 2 last season.

At No. 4 singles, Schuyler TenEyck returns in the same spot as last year.

Gorman sees the singles ladder as a strength, with a deep group heavy on experience, minus Portesi.

Rizzo and TenEyck are both 1-1 so far, while Waggoner is 0-2.

“It doesn’t really matter, I told them they shouldn’t care what position they’re in,” Gorman said. “Just go out there to win. It’s a matter of winning four matches, whether it’s No. 3 doubles or No. 4 singles. I don’t care.”

In doubles, Laurel TenEyck moves up to No. 1 this season after playing No. 2 last year, and she’s joined by Jen Schaad, who played No. 1 last year, too. Jackie Falso, Schaad’s partner last season, graduated.

TenEyck and Schaad are unbeaten so far.

At No. 2 doubles, freshmen Madeline Capaldi and Ava Sammartino are teaming up and learning on the fly. They lost against North Kingstown but rebounded with a three-set win against Lincoln School.

Third doubles is junior Alex Marzilli and freshman Elizabeth Brouseau. They’re also 1-1.

Sophomore Kate Snyman is also in the mix for playing time.

“(Division I is) good for the girls,” Gorman said. “They’re playing stiff competition and it forces them to raise their game.”

The Titans will see just how much they can raise it, as they adjust to the new competition. North Kingstown – a team that beat Toll Gate just 4-3 – is one of three unbeaten teams left in the division and went 9-3 last year.

That should be a good barometer as to how well the Titans can compete. In an unfamiliar division, they’re going to keep pushing.

“I have no idea what the talent pool is in Division I, but we’ll be respectable,” Gorman said.

Toll Gate was scheduled to take on Westerly on Monday, with results unavailable at press time. On Wednesday, it hosts Portsmouth at 4 p.m. before traveling to Smithfield Friday at 3:30 p.m.

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