Girls Tennis finished out the 2024 season with an impressive 12-6 record. It was a big improvement over last year’s 3-11 record, thanks, in part, to the seven talented seniors on the team. Rampage took a look at some of the highs and lows of the season.
The Rams started off with a bang, opening the season with a four-game winning streak. They beat Mount Olive 4-1 on Sept. 3, Morris Knolls 5-0 on Sept. 4, Morris Hills 3-2 on Sept. 5 and Pope John 5-0 on Sept. 6.
Both doubles teams, made up of seniors Ava Olsen and Lucy Girardi as well as Amy Myerson and Riyana Chaudhary, dominated by winning all their matches during the first week.
“After going 3-11 last year, we dramatically improved this year,” Head Coach Daniel DiNozzi said. “I am proud of that turnaround.” DiNozzi noted that, since all team goals were set at the beginning of the season, it was important to progress one match at a time.
As the season progressed, Randolph continued to improve and gain confidence, resulting in a record of 8-3 by Sept. 20. The team showed consistency by winning three matches with final scores of 5-0, against Roxbury on Sept. 12, Morris Knolls on Sept. 18 and Pope John on Sept. 20.
The Rams also saw their first losses, going 4-1 against Morristown on Sept. 10, 3-2 against Parsippany Hills on Sept. 11, and 3-2 against West Morris on Sept. 16.
“Playing against tough opponents and fighting to hit one more ball back showed me how to stay strong and take things one step at a time, even when I was ready to give up,” senior captain Noelle Thompson said.
The girls’ impressive record gave them a good shot in the NJSIAA Tournament this year. They won their opening match against Nutley 5-0 on Sept. 30, with a shut-down performance by sophomore Ava Pinho and junior Sophie Visser.
This win advanced the team to play Tenafly on Oct. 8 in the quarterfinals round. Randolph unfortunately took a hard loss 5-0 and did not progress in the tournament.
Despite the loss, the girls continued to ensure that the team environment and chemistry remained strong. “We are very bonded and enjoyed seeing and laughing with each other every day,” Olsen said. “I made lifelong friends with everyone on the team.”
To finish out the season, the team saw a three-game winning streak against West Morris on Oct. 1, Roxbury on Oct. 2, and Mount Olive on Oct. 7.
At second doubles, Myerson and Chaudhary also competed in the County Tournament on Oct. 2. They fought through a difficult match against Mendham and advanced to the final, where they took second place.
The team officially ended the season on Oct .15 after a loss against Parsippany Hills.
Despite this, Olsen and Girardi won their first-doubles match, resulting in a score of 2-1. The second doubles pair, Myerson and Chaudhary, finished with a win, going 2-0.
“When the match was over, we were not ready to leave the courts for the final time,” Thompson said. “The seniors were disappointed to see their journey end, and the underclassmen were determined to work hard in the off-season and come back stronger next year.”
The end of the season was bittersweet for the seniors, as the soon-to-be graduates had to say good-bye to the high school team they’d poured so much energy and dedication into over the years. “I have coached most of these seniors for at least three years, and some for all four, so I’ll be sad to see them go,” DiNozzi said.
