Undefeated Girls' Varsity Tennis entered the New England Class A tournament as the number one seed and host. The previous season, Andover had defeated Greenwich Academy to win the title, and Big Blue seemed poised to repeat after a dominant regular season.

Quarterfinal and semifinal play took place on Saturday, May 16th, and the championship match was on Sunday, May 17th.

Quarterfinals vs. BB&N

The team faced Buckingham Browne & Nichols (BB&N) in the quarterfinals. However, thanks to all three doubles teams winning their matches and two decisive victories at first singles by Nitya Madduri '28 and second singles by Kendra Tomala '26, the girls earned a 5-0 win to advance to the semifinals.

On the neighboring courts, Groton School and Greenwich Academy battled for over an hour longer in their semifinal clash, with Groton emerging victorious after two tight, 10-point tiebreak wins at fourth and fifth singles.

Semifinals vs. Groton

Andover stepped back onto their home courts for a semifinal showdown against Groton.

Just as they had in the morning, Big Blue earned victories from all three doubles pairs. Andover kept the momentum into singles play, with everyone looking strong. Ultimately, the two match-clinching victories were earned at fifth singles by Evelyn Kung '26 and sixth singles by Mira Phan '27.

For the second straight year, Andover earned a spot in the finals.

Championship vs. Hotchkiss

Andover's stellar play and dominance continued in the championship. Head coach Katy Lambson recapped the squad's performance:

Doubles:

  • Andover 1, Hotchkiss 0: The team's first victory came from the third doubles pair of Evelyn Kung '26 and Lara Madan '27, who finished the season undefeated as a pair. They exemplified their signature styles of play, utilizing smart formations, stellar communication, and precise shot placement to cruise to victory.
  • Andover 2, Hotchkiss 0: At first doubles, partners Kendra Tomala '26 and Michelle Oh '29, yet another undefeated pairing this season, utilized big serves, powerful groundstrokes, and precisely placed volleys to earn the team's second win.
  • Andover 3, Hotchkiss 0: After a slow start, second doubles partners Nitya Madduri '28 and Mira Phan '27, who also finished the season undefeated as a duo, stuck closely with their opponents. They used their characteristic pattern of big serves and aggressive poaches to earn a nail-biter of a win in a tiebreaker, completing the doubles sweep.

Singles:

"The girls cooled off out of the sun in the air conditioning for a few minutes before commencing singles play, ready to give it their all.

Mira Phan '27 had battled through leg pain during her doubles match and gave everything she had in singles. Unfortunately, her movement was limited compared to when she is playing at 100 percent, and she dropped a tough, hard-fought match at sixth singles to bring the team score to 3-1.

Very shortly after the conclusion of the sixth singles match, the scores across the top five courts showed four matches within mere points of winning. Nitya Madduri '28 (first singles) was up 5-0 in her second set; Kendra Tomala '26 (second singles) was up 5-2 in her second set; Michelle Oh '29 (third singles) had won her first set and stood at 1-2 in the second; Lara Madan '27 (fourth singles) was up 5-2 in her second set; and Evelyn Kung '26 (fifth singles) was commanding a 5-0 lead in her second set.

It was off to the races, and ultimately, Lara and Evelyn clinched the final two wins for Andover within moments of one another to secure a grand 5-1 victory and the championship title."

A True Team Effort

Reflecting on the weekend, Coach Lambson praised the roster's collective spirit.

"This win was truly a team effort, and every single one of the players gave it their all!" Coach Lambson said.

On behalf of the program, Coach Lambson extended gratitude to the many campus organizations and families that made the championship season possible:

"We would like to thank our amazing managers for all the work they did to help the team out this season, the Athletic Department for their support with logistics, planning, and travel, Paresky Commons for keeping us fueled throughout the day and on away travel days, and OPP for always helping us get tables and chairs ready for home matches, and so many others. Huge thanks to our incredible PAGVT Families for providing moments of team bonding, snacks for home matches, and endless love and support!"