LENOX — After three matches were completed, No. 1 Lenox, who had not trailed much all season, found itself down by one against Mount Greylock. With back-to-back Western Massachusetts titles on the line, the Millionaires needed someone to step up.
“It was [2-1] and I was just thinking about my team in that moment,” Shove said after gutting out a win to help Lenox to an eventual 3-2 victory in the Western Massachusetts Class C Final. “I was just seeing if I could pull it off to get the win and I was also counting on first doubles to pull it off too.”
After taking the first set 6-4 in second singles, Shove was tested by Greylock’s Emily Oulette. With a slim 3-2 lead in the second set, Shove was forced to dig deep but remained confident. She kept her composure, winning the set 6-3, putting the first doubles squad in position to secure the victory.
“I see amazing growth from [Shove],” Lenox head coach Monica Herman said. “I can see the growth week to week certainly from last year as a new player to now. It’s just amazing."
Nicole Illingworth and Caroline Kump followed suit, winning in straight sets over Greylock’s Charlotte Towler and Bridget Igoe. Lenox won the series 3-2, securing the PVIAC Western Mass. Class C title for the second straight season.
“So proud,” Herman said. “They’re my dream team these girls. That’s for sure.
“I’ve been using the term work ethic a lot because they work so hard. They have such drive and such desire. They come out on weekends when we don’t have practice… They do research on the competition. They’re just really in it and fully immersed in this team.”
Lenox improves to 14-1 on the season, winning all three matchups with the Mounties. After dropping its last match of the season to Belchertown, the Millionaires have won two matches in a row. The Millionaires, who made the MIAA Division IV Final Four last season, will await their seed and opponent in the state tournament.
“I think with a lot of returning players, we can all be a lot calmer than we were last year,” Herman said. “We didn’t really know what to expect, but now we know we can make it to the Final Four and it’s not going to be any different than the level of tennis we just [saw] today.”
No. 3 Greylock got off to a strong start led by Mia Patrick in first singles. Patrick came out firing, utilizing slicing forehand shots to stifle Rory Lenehan. The Greylock junior wasted no time, winning in straight sets both by a score of 6-0. The other Greylock win came from Amelia Madrigal in third singles, who won 6-0, 6-4 over Julia Zanin.
“You know what, we wanted to give ourselves a chance and we gave ourselves a chance,” Greylock head coach John Jacobbe said. “We lost to Lenox twice this year. We know they’re a very good team… Amelia and Mia won the singles matches and then the other two matches were dog fights.
“We came up just a little short, but my team left everything out on the courts and I couldn’t be prouder of this group of girls. How they started off the year and how much they improved is all a tribute to their hard work in practice and dedication to their team.”
Lenox got on the board with a commanding victory in second singles by Gali Gomez and Reeva Patel. The Millionaires duo won in straight sets, never surrendering a point against Tiffany Gonzales and Molly Karampatsos. With Greylock leading 2-1 in the match, the attention turned to the second singles.
Shove received a strong challenge from Oulette, bringing the best out of her. The first set was tightly contested with Shove pulling away late for a 6-4 victory. Shove, knowing her match was crucial, upped her intensity in the second set. After Oulette cut the deficit to 3-2, Shove pulled away to take the set 6-3.
“I kind of picked it up because I knew that if I lost any points, it would bring my game down,” Shove said. “I just kept it up… It’s rewarding and it’s great with my team.”
With the match knotted at 2-2, Illingworth and Kump kicked it into high gear to wrap up the match win. After Towler and Igoe cut the deficit to 5-4 in the second set, Illingworth took control, utilizing her skillset in front of the net. The Lenox duo kept their composure to secure the match victory.
Greylock falls to 10-5, snapping a five-match win streak. The Mounties did show positive strides against the Millionaires as they had lost 4-1 in each of the two previous matches. Greylock will await its seed and opponent in the MIAA D-IV State Tournament.
“I had confidence no matter what,” Jacobbe said. “I didn’t want us to play nervous today… I don’t know how far we can go in states, but no matter who we play, we’re going to go in [confident].”
By Dylan Thompson, Eagle correspondent