By Michael Letendre
The campaign for the Bristol Eastern girls tennis squad started off with back-to-back matches from home, dropping both matches by identical 6-1 scores in CCC interdivisional play.
On April 5, the Lancers lost to Enfield and then the following day, Eastern dropped a 6-1 decision to Windsor.
Both matches commenced from the tennis courts on the campus of Bristol Eastern.
In the contest against Enfield, the squad was able to sweep the action in singles play while the Eagles were winners in two of the three doubles encounters.
The Lancers lone victory came in the third slot in doubles as the combination of Makayla Warnat and Isabella Davis hung a 6-2 and 7-6 loss against Charlotte Paltronien and Kayla Xiong.
Also in doubles action, Enfield’s Olivia Eugenio and Brie Sanchez were pushed to a third set as Keelie Yorkhill and Hailey Devost refused to yield in the second spot of doubles play.
After dropping the first set 4-6, the Eastern duo wrapped up a 7-5 win to tie the match up at 1-1.
But the Enfield combo took the third set, 10-8, to snare the victory.
And then the next afternoon, the Lancers fell to the Warriors but challenged the visitors throughout.
Eastern’s Keelie Yorkhill ended up battling Kirikia Bittner-Chee Hung to a three-set challenge in the final singles slot.
Yorkhill nabbed a 6-2 triumph in set one, fell 2-6 in the ensuing set but won out in the end with a 10-6 win.
The Lancers also did well in the second singles bout, pitting Windsor’s Amanda Eneh against Eastern’s Vanessa Cyr.
And another three set battle ensued.
After falling behind in set one (6-2), Cyr ended up taking the second (6-3) – forcing a winner-take-all third set.
Eneh won the final set, 10-5.
Back to the grind
The Lancers had nearly two weeks off between matches but the Kingstreeters are in action over the next three days.
This afternoon, Northwest Catholic comes to town and then on Thursday, East Catholic makes an appearance from the tennis courts at BEHS.
Finally on Friday, Eastern competes in its first road challenge of the year and must burn through all its cash on gas money for a trip to Edwin O. Smith in Storrs.
All three contests commence at 3:45 p.m. and are CCC interdivisional matches.
2023 Bristol Eastern Girls Tennis Varsity Roster
Adrianna Reay, Junior
Ava Gesner, Junior
Vanessa Cyr, Sophomore
Jazmein Pryce, Sophomore
Taylor Berube, Senior
Maria Perrone, Sophomore
Keelie Yorkhill, Senior
Hailey Devost, Junior
Makayla Warnat, Sophomore
Isabella Davis, Junior
Alina Guo, Sophomore
Bristol Eastern Girls Tennis – First Two matches
ENFIELD 6, BRISTOL EASTERN 1 (April 5)
from the tennis courts on the campus of BEHS
Singles
1. Anna Bemiss (E) defeated Adrianna Reay (BE), 6-1, 6-1
2. Sandhya Souririgan (E) defeated Ava Gesner (BE), 6-0, 6-0
3. Kelsey Wyse (E) defeated Vanessa Cyr (BE), 6-4, 6-1
4. Becky Bemiss (E) defeated Jazmein Pryce (BE), 5-0 (injury default)
Doubles
1. Mikayla Brown and Sophie Trosen (E) defeated Taylor Berube and Maria Perrone (BE) 6-1, 7-5
2. Olivia Eugenio and Brie Sanchez (E) defeated Keelie Yorkhill and Hailey Devost (BE)
(BE), 6-4, 5-7, 10-8
3. Makayla Warnat and Isabella Davis (BE) defeated Charlotte Paltronien and Kayla Xiong (E), 6-2, 7-6
Records: Enfield 1-0 overall; Bristol Eastern 0-1
WINDSOR 6, BRISTOL EASTERN 1 (April 6)
from the tennis courts on the campus of BEHS
Singles
1. Nagia Elaraba (W) defeated AvaGesner (BE), 6-4, 6-1
2. Amanda Eneh (W) defeated Vanessa Cyr (BE), 6-2, 3-6, 10-5
3. Rjelyn Ersando (W) defeated Maria Perrone (BE), 6-2, 6-2
4. Keelie Yorkhill (BE) defeated Kirikia Bittner-Chee Hung (W) 6-2, 2-6, 10-6.
Doubles
1. Alexa Banbury and Julia Smith (W) defeated Taylor Berube and Jazmein Pryce (BE), 6-1, 6-1
2. Jasmine Brown and Teysir Issaka (W) defeated Alina Guo and Hailey Devost (BE), 6-3, 6-3
3. Auboni Chambers and Nya Chambers (W) defeated Makayla Warnat and Isabella Davis (BE), 6-1, 6-0
Records: Windsor 2-0 overall; Bristol Eastern 0-2