The DuPage Valley Conference girls tennis season kicks off with 2022 conference champions Naperville North girls tennis hosting Neuqua Valley, who finished as the runners-up a season ago. The Huskies playing the state doubles runners-up Brooke Coffman and Gabby Lee as singles players in this matchup. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Lee is competing at two singles against Maya Raman from Neuqua. The Wildcat senior gets off to a good start as she earns a point with a lob near the back that Lee can not quite reach.
It’s almost certain that Lee and Coffman will team up as a doubles duo again later in the season, but for now, the decorated juniors are working on their games in singles play. Lee shows off the groundstroke work on this point as she takes the first set.
In the second set, Lee is working in the far court as she and Raman go back and forth with the Wildcat matching her shot for shot. Eventually, Lee uses a strong forehand that slices back across the court to secure the win in straight sets, 6-0, and 6-1.
Brooke Coffman looks dominant as a singles player
Brooke Coffman competing at one singles against Kendall Klimek from Neuqua Valley, who is in the top spot for the Cats to start the year.
Klimek serves in the far court and it’s a good one as Coffman has to lob it back over. Klimek then lightly taps the ball back over for the point, catching her opponent off guard.
While Klimek used finesse for her point, here we see Coffman looking to use her power. It does not matter if it’s a forehand or backhand, the Huskie puts everything she has into these returns, eventually putting the point away with a strong forehand in the corner.
Speaking of power, Coffman serving in the far court rips an ace right down the middle as she goes on to win her matchup in two sets as well to give the Huskies the early edge.
The Wildcats even the score behind strong doubles play
Over to number two doubles where Huskies Molly Sincaglia and Aasha Trivedi take on Zara Khan and Madalyn Finke from Neuqua who show off the footwork in between points.
Sincaglia serves in the far court to Finke and the two go back and forth with volleys. Both Huskies then approach the net and form a wall that Finke can not get past. Eventually, Trivedi bounces one back and forces an error to give the point to North.
Finke serving late in the first set as Khan steps over for the quick return. Trivedi with a hardliner and Khan gets the racquet up just in time and puts the ball into the empty space on the court. Neuqua takes set one 6-2.
Sincaglia serving again in the far court in the second set. Finke sends a backhand back where it came from followed by Khan using an overhand smash to finish the point. The Wildcats take number two doubles 6-2, 6-2.
Neuqua Valley also moving two returners around in the early season. Singles state qualifier Sophia Chiou competing at one doubles with partner Kylie Tran. They face Huskies Aaryana and Aanika Parekh, who have both spent time as singles players in past seasons.
Aaryana is a senior and Aanika a junior, together They combine for a great point in the opening set that finishes with a strong smash-up at the net for the blue and orange.
Neuqua picks up a win in three doubles so the Wildcats look to even the team score with a victory in one doubles. Sophia Chiou doing her part as she unleashes a perfectly placed backhand that kisses the sideline for the point. What a shot as Neuqua takes set one 6-0.
The Parekh’s with a serve in the near court looking to stay alive in set two, but the Neuqua pairing is just too much to handle on this day. Kylie Tran playing at the net where she just deadens the ball off the racquet to secure the straight-set victory.
Naperville North girls tennis ends up winning 4-3 over Neuqua Valley as a team thanks to a three-set tiebreaking win in four doubles behind Claire Tanza and Varsha Pamulapati. An exciting way to begin the DVC slate.
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