Above: Senior Night for the Girls Tennis team, both varsity and junior varsity. Back, from left: Daysia Alves, Isabelle Azzoli, Lola Verret, Michaela Shunney, Claire Murray, Charlotte Boisvert, Stella Jackson, Ana Chelidze, Georgia Wood, Miranda Swartz, Emily Golding and Emma Burnett-Testa. Front, from left: Melania Abdel-Hafiz, Caroline Shea, Maddie Omicioli and Ella DiTraglia. Photo courtesy of Nan Shea

And Maddie Omicioli places 2nd in the individual state singles championship

Maddie Omicioli

The Girls Tennis team, despite being challenged with injuries, is heading into the playoffs with a 13-2 record. They secured the second playoff seed in Division 1 with a hard fought 4-3 win over Wheeler Wednesday.

“As for the team, it really has been one of the more remarkable runs in my coaching career,” said Coach Marc Brocato. “We have been without our number two player, Annalee Ambler, for pretty much the entire season…. Everybody has had to step it up. For our only two losses to be to La Salle says something about these kids.”

Number one singles player Maddie Omicioli had a particularly remarkable couple of days when she lost to La Salle’s Erin McCusker in the individual singles state championship on Sunday, Oct. 17, then faced McCusker again on Monday in a team match. This time, Omicioli beat McCusker. 

“I was so happy for Maddie – to be able to lift herself up and find the energy 24 hours after a brutal defeat is one of the more amazing things I’ve seen in a long time,” Brocato said. “I can only think she was laying it all on the line for her teammates at that point and that shows you what a special type of player and person she is.”

Brocato said he was pleased with the team’s performance, especially when facing private schools that can draw from all over the state. 

“The fact that all the kids on my roster live in East Greenwich and very few play year-round tournament tennis against a school that has kids from everywhere and who play a lot of the circuit, it was all heart and guts out there.”

Varsity seniors, back from left: Charlotte Boisvert, Lola Verret, Michaela Shunney, Ana Chelidze, Georgia Wood and Maddie Omicioli. Front, from left: Caroline Shea, Ella DiTraglia and Claire Murray. Photo courtesy of Nan Shea