Last year the Uxbridge girls tennis team went 10-8 during the regular season finding their way into the Division 4 State Tournament where they defeated Leicester in the first round. Unfortunately, the Spartans then had to head to Lynnfield to play the number one seed where they found themselves in a tough matchup and soon after taking to the court  their season was over. 

With a good amount of last year’s squad returning to the courts this spring Uxbridge finds themselves in a good situation to go deeper into the tournament this year. Although the team has one individual tennis player that jumps off the page, the Spartans, as a team are bound for good things this season.

“I knew we had a lot of returning players coming back this year and that they would be competitive,” Uxbridge Coach Carlos Melgar-Petrain said. “Those underclassmen were able to get the fundamentals down last yar and should be able to put them to good use this season.”

Uxbridge, like many teams and sports, changed divisions this year with the MIAA’s new alignment. Having played in the Southern Worcester County League (SWCL) in the past years Uxbridge sports was moved over to the Central Massachusetts Conference (CMAC) this year, where Melgar-Petrain believes that if his squad continues to win the games that they should while being competitive in the rest they will be ok come the end of the season.

At the time of this writing, the Spartan girls found themselves sitting in second place in the CMAC with an impressive 5-1 record. The major reason the Spartans are doing so well is their two top doubles teams that are a combined 11-0. 

The first doubles team of senior Niamh McSweeney and junior Jordan Hilgenberg are 5-0 on the court. McSweeney, who is relatively new to the game of tennis brings a reserved feeling to the tennis court. Her partner, who like McSweeney, brings athletics and a willingness to learn to the game complements one another. According to the coach, Hilgenberg pumps up McSweeney and McSweeney calms Hilgenberg down when she is too hyped up.

The sophomore tandem of Avery Woods and Zooey Pominville currently have posted a 6-0 record at the second doubles position. Both are athletes that participate in other sports as well as tennis. Woods plays on the field hockey team while Pominville is a basketball player, but both are athletic and very much sports oriented. In the past the duo has seen the occasional playing time on the singles circuit, but this year they are true doubles team.

players that bring an athletic mindset to the game. Off the court the two are good friends, but on the court they are showing it to the rest of the league that they are a force to be reckoned with.

While the doubles squads are leading the team, the singles players are all holding their own, helping the Spartans to where they are today. Senior Erin Roche, a second team SWCL All-Star last year, is playing int eh top singles position. She took over the position late in he season last year and through the early part of this season has put together a 2-3 record. 

“Erin was our second singles last year but was itching to get into that number one position,” the coach said. “She challenged the then number one player and took over that spot. This year she has been better with her mindset on the court, while as a captain has been a leader off the court.”

Right behind Roche is second singles player Sophia Simpson. The junior plays the sport more religiously throughout the year than most of her teammates and was named to the SWCL All-Star team last year as a doubles player. Prior to this season Simpson found herself on one of the last courts playing with a partner where, as a freshman, she made it to the finals ending as runners-up;  last year they were eliminated in the Quarter Finals. She has had no issue whatsoever moving from playing with a partner to being on her own this year and has put together s 3-3 record so far.

Rounding out the starters is senior Sophia Freire playing third singles for the Spartans this spring. When she first joined the team she found herself playing second double; last year she moved into third singles, where she continues to play this year and has amassed a 4-2 record.

“Sophia is one that likes to go out and have fun,” Melgar-Petrain said. “She loves playing at third singles because there is no real pressure on her there and is good in that spot.”

As the Uxbridge coach, Melgar-Petrain has basically lets the girls figure it out while on the court and what needs to be done in certain situations. 

“I can’t tell them what to do while they are on the courts. I am not out there with them, and they need to decide what to do in the moment,” he said. “I am lucky to have a multitude of sport athletes. I just have to teach them tennis and they’re all sponges absorbing the knowledge.”

With two-thirds of the season still on the docket Melgar-Petrain knows that his team has some tough matches ahead of them where they will be playing top tier teams, but he is very optimistic with the way his girls will play.

“As we progress into the second half of the season the girls know what they are up against and how to play it out,” the Spartan coach said. “We need to stay mentally and physically fit and we’ll have a good chance of getting a high seed in the power rankings as we enter the tournament.”

If Uxbridge can continue to hold their own, especially against the top teams they will find themselves with a decent seeding in the State Tournament and should be able to make some noise.