SRA remains in third place with 6-1 victory over Tolman

PAWTUCKET – St. Raphael rolled to four straight-set singles wins en route to a 6-1 verdict over city rival Tolman at the Mike Kenney Courts, and – in the process – improved to 8-2 in divisional action.

It did so without the services of senior quad-captain Serena-Rose Gaskin, who after playing third singles in the first match of the campaign at Pilgrim was warned by physicians not to play, that due a nagging back injury.

“We found out pretty early on she’d be out for the season,” stated fellow senior quad-captain Morgan Collins, who had just clinched the decisive fourth point with a 6-2, 6-2 triumph over senior Tolman Sarah Colson at the top singles spot. “I had talked to her in our AP Psych class at the beginning of the school year, and she told me she was going to see the doctor.

“When I talked to her a few days later, she said she would be out for the rest of the season, and I felt really sad for her,” she added. “I know I would’ve been completely crushed if that had happened to me, but she was in pretty good spirits.”

Collins also admitted that she and her veteran teammates weren’t as nervous as they might have been without the talented Gaskin because they had so many talented girls on the roster to fill in. She also noted that this was something new for her, too.

“I had played with the boys tennis team as a freshman and sophomore (in the springtime) because I wanted to play volleyball in the fall,” she explained. “The way girls play and the guys play is so different; I had a tough time at the beginning of the season adjusting to the speed of serves and ground strokes. Boys hit it so much harder.”

St. Raphael coach Scott Corain indicated that, with Gaskin’s absence from the No. 3 singles spot in the lineup, everyone had to move up a notch. The good news: It’s worked wonders.

On this day, senior quad-captain Emily Fournier clinched the first point with an easy 6-0, 6-1 verdict over junior tri-captain Victoria Chmielinski at No. 2 singles. Seconds later, the Saints secured the second when the third tandem of senior Emma McDonough and sophomore Chatham McCloskey captured a 6-4, 6-0 win over seniors Valaria Alvarado and Amanda Afriyieb.

SRA senior Molly Frazier snatched the third point with a 6-2, 6-2 decision over senior “tri” Stephanie Harwood at fourth singles before Collins sealed the deal with the fourth point. Junior teammate Deana Squires managed a tough 6-3, 6-4 victory over senior Taina Rodrigues at No. 3 for the fifth.

“It was definitely the most challenging match I’ve had this year,” Fournier stated after she upped her individual season mark to 10-0. “We both had the same trick shots, so it was weird seeing the same kind of shots I hit being hit back at me.

“I wouldn’t consider this a rivalry match; I don’t buy into that. I’m just glad I’m still undefeated because that girl is good.”

As for Harwood’s loss to Frazier, she claimed being rather satisfied with her personal outing.

“I had a lot of good points, and we had a lot of long rallies,” she stated. “I also played some pretty decent ground strokes, which was something I’ve been trying to improve upon from last year. I also remember playing against her last year at No. 1 doubles.

Offered Frazier: “I thought I hit a lot of good cross-court shots, though I double-faulted a few times, too. I think some of the shots I hit deeper threw her out of rhythm.”

The Saints’ freshmen duet of Sofia Mazza and Dorothy Breen delivered a 6-4, 6-1 verdict to seniors Jennifer Miranda and Alexis Taylor at second doubles, though the senior duo of Kim Batista and Gina Carpentier spoiled SRA’s shutout bid with a 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 triumph over senior Jillian Hughes and junior Adelina Steinmetz.

“It was a tough match; St. Ray’s has a good team,” Tolman coach John Jasionowski mentioned after his club fell to 4-5. “I lost four girls from last year’s team, so I have two new singles players and I’ve had to work with almost all the doubles girls. I had to teach them how to work as a team.

“Right now, Tiverton and North Providence are the top two teams in our division, and Saints had lost to them both,” he added. “Still, the top eight teams make the playoffs, and right now they’re in third (because they’re tied with Pilgrim at 8-2, but they beat them, so have the head-to-head tiebreaker.

“It’s going to be close for us to make it. We’ve got to pull off some wins if we want to sneak into the eighth spot.”