L-S girls off to an impressive start
Jason Walsh is no stranger to highprofile tennis.
Walsh was a four-year letterman at Aquinas College in his home state of Michigan. Although Walsh later served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, most of his coaching experiences have been in private settings, in Michigan and at Bosse Sports Club in Sudbury, in addition to Wightman Tennis Center in Weston, where Walsh currently works.
This spring, Walsh inherited one of the Bay State’s most prominent programs, taking over the Lincoln-Sudbury girls’ team, which lost last year’s Division 1 state final against Lexington, 3-2.
Walsh replaced Danielle OrglesMonteith, who coached the Warriors the past two seasons.
“I worked with a lot of high school players, but I had never actually head coached a team prior to this,” Walsh said. “I mostly worked with a lot of high school tournament players giving private lessons.”
After dedicating most of his time to training individuals, Walsh has embraced the camaraderie that comes with leading a team. His team-first coaching tactics — which include lively lineup introductions and encouraging team chants — have helped foster a tight-knit squad that started 5-0 and garnered the No. 2 spot in the initial MIAA Division 1 power rankings.
Walsh has relied on a mix of returning players and newcomers to help ease his transition. While freshman Emily Naum has dazzled at first singles, sophomore Lia Swire made the jump from third to second.
Senior captain Carly Heslop has provided a veteran presence at third singles, while classmates and cocaptains Camille Butters and Heather Naum are a solid, seasoned pair at first doubles. Sophomores Emma Murphy and Audrey Attlan make up the second doubles pairing.
Walsh said the team’s passion and commitment to the game has stood out during his first weeks.
“They’ve obviously been training offseason year-round. It seems like indoor in the wintertime and during the summertime,” Walsh said. “I know I have a lot of committed players, and they are young, which is good because they have a lot of good things coming their way.”
Despite Walsh’s background of individualized instruction, the L-S players said he fits right in with the team.
“It doesn’t feel like he’s new to it at all,” Heslop said. “It doesn’t even feel like this is the first year that we’ve been together. It feels like he’s been coaching us for years.”
The players also aren’t placing too much emphasis on the undefeated start, which they attribute to connectivity off the court as much as talent on it.
“I don’t think being undefeated really describes us,” Butters said. “It’s more so the community that we have and making sure that everyone feels welcome and feels like they have a family with the tennis team.”
The seniors do feel as if there is unfinished business after last year’s state championship loss, though they aren’t wishing away the regular season. Instead, the Warriors are appreciating their journey and embracing the process of improving.
“I think coming out of last year with it being such a successful season, we definitely feel like we have a bit of a reputation that we have to live up to,” Heather Naum said. “But we take every match one at a time and treat every opponent the same. We’re really focused on all improving as a team.”
Extra serves
■ The MIAA released its first boys’ and girls’ power rankings Friday, with Brookline (8-0), Sharon (7-1), Wayland (2-2), and Weston (5-0) claiming the top spots in the four boys’ divisions.
Boston Latin (4-0) sits atop the girls’ Division 1 rankings, while Bishop Stang (7-0), Newburyport (7-0), and Hamilton Wenham (6-0) lead Divisions 2, 3, and 4.
The top 32 teams in the rankings automatically qualify for the state tournament. Teams ranked 33rd or lower qualify for a play-in game with a .500 record or better.
■ Acton-Boxborough boys’ coach Kevin Curley had high hopes this spring after his squad claimed last year’s Division 1 state title over threetime defending champion Brookline, which entered the final with an 82match winning streak.
Although A-B is 2-0, the team experienced a lineup overhaul because of the unexpected departures of Dylan Fayerman and Ryan Zhang, who occupied last year’s top two singles positions.
While Fayerman, a sophomore, opted to play on the national circuit, Zhang chose to compete in track and field rather than spend his senior season playing tennis. Another senior, Curtis Judson, returned after playing third singles last season, though he’s been battling a shoulder injury.
Senior Chris Ristaino and sophomores Rishi Dasari and Siddhant Ganesh Warren have anchored the singles, while Judson has partnered with senior Kayvon Touserkani at first doubles.
Although the state championship win still provides A-B with confidence, Curley acknowledged the loss of top talent has the squad on alert.
“It does help the cause for everybody, but the elephant in the room is that we know we’re missing players,” Curley said. “At the end of the day, everyone feels the pressure of not having those kids that would hold those positions historically.”
■ In addition to coaching, Curley has dreams of the MIAA incorporating pickleball as a varsity sport.
In June 2022, Curley opened The Ridge Club, a members-only outdoor pickleball and tennis club located at Quail Ridge Country Club in Acton. Since then, the club has grown to include approximately 450 members.
Curley envisions The Ridge Club serving as a main location that could be used by local schools for matches if the MIAA does vote to incorporate pickleball.
“This is the perfect sport for kids to add another activity to their schedule,” Curley said.
■ Led by senior captain and first singles star Rufus McCleery, the Nauset boys’ team (6-0) is off to its best start in a decade.
“Last year, he went undefeated in our division and won his playoff match,” coach Andy Lisle said. “This year he’s undefeated, as well.” Junior Salvi Cacciola has shined at second singles, with sophomores Will Murphy and Jason White splitting time at third. The Warriors have experience at both doubles pairings, with senior Malcolm Stewart and junior Murphy McCleery serving as the top duo, and senior Connor Pike and junior Tom Foley anchoring the second unit.