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New Canaan's girls tennis team hadn't won a league title since 2006. Wednesday, the Rams put another trophy in the case with a convincing 5-2 victory over Greenwich in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference championship match at Wilton High School. The Cardinals defeated the Rams in the past three championship matches.
"It's really exciting to win the FCIACs,'' coach Gail Overbeck said. "It's harder to win this than it is states. When you do win the FCIACs, it's just a great feeling."
New Canaan had Greenwich's number this year. On May 14, New Canaan ended the Cardinals 83-match win streak, which dated back to 2006. Wednesday's win was even more convincing, beginning with Tina Tehrani's 6-0, 6-0 win over Jenn DeLuca at first singles. The Rams swept the singles matches and also won first doubles.
"I thought we'd have a chance because of our singles players,'' Overbeck said. "Our No. 1 doubles team (Alyssa Baker and Kimmy Glerum) is undefeated. I felt like we had a chance. We did a better job this time than we did in the regular season."
Kate Mannelly won at No. 2 singles over Danielle Cepelewicz, 6-3, 6-2. Caitlin Gallagher won at No. 3, 6-2, 6-1, over Sam Stone, and Courtney Gallagher won at No. 4 over Andrea Carlsson, 6-4, 6-2. Baker and Glerum won 6-1, 6-0 over Leah Tagliarino and Jordana Cepelewicz. New Canaan's other players were sisters Sara and Emily Greene at second doubles and Amanda Merjian and Phoebe Wilks at third doubles.
New Canaan has won Class M titles in four of the past five years, but adding an FCIAC title excites Overbeck and her team. "I like to win both,'' Overbeck said. "Once in a while it's nice to throw an FCIAC title in there. You don't know when you'll win one again."
Carlsson was taken away in an ambulance following the match to get treatment for heat-related symptoms.
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