Tennis: Phantoms Remain Undefeated with Stunning Comeback Win

Thursday’s Pioneer Athletic Conference (PAC-10) match-up between Perkiomen Valley and Phoenixville was an unofficial case study in what makes tennis such a unique sport.

Even casual fans can marvel at a “big serve” or a great play along the baseline to save a point, but it’s the mental aspect of the game that often gets overlooked when dissecting what leads to a rewarding victory and the emptiness of wiping the slate clean after battling for an entire set.

If you had asked Phantoms coach John Zittel after the first what the chances were of his squad pulling out a win over PAC-10 rival Perk Valley, he may have scoffed and walked away. Following the first sets, the purple and black were getting rocked by the Vikings 6-1.

Much to the surprise and delight of Zittel, his senior latent squad tipped the surface of the Leo Scoda Tennis Courts in their favor, battling back to claim a 5-2 win over the Vikings to improve to 5-0 in league play.

"I don’t know what happened or why but that is why I love tennis," said Zittel. "At one point I think we were losing all but one match, but we really got it going as a team and this is one of the best matches I think I have been a part of."

On the singles side of the score sheet, Perkiomen Valley won two out of three matches as Hannah Toombs and Leona Kretzu won in straight sets 6-1, 6-2 and 6-0, respectively over Meghan Clark and Carly Milano, with the Phantoms sophomore phenom Lexi Crovetti defeating Emily Wendel 6-2, 6-2 in the battle of number ones.

It was the on doubles portion of the docket where the action was fast and furious, as the Phantoms swept all four matches, led by an amazing come-from-behind win by the number one combination of seniors Mary Newman and Maddie Trainor to secure the all-important fourth team point, giving the Phantoms the win.

Early on it looked like it would be a quick day’s work for Perk Valley’s duo of Vini Kumar and Jeanette Wiley as they cruised to a 6-0 opening set romp of the Phantoms top pairing.

In the second set, Maddie Trainer set the tone as she prowled the baseline, and it was one sequence during a volley where Trainer returned five straight shots that really started to swing the momentum in the Phantoms' favor as they came back from a 5-3 deficit to force a tie breaker, which they won 11-9 to even the sets at one apiece.

“After the first set we stopped playing safe,” said Trainer. “We have been in a funk and a little bit down all week and today we just busted out of it. We talked every point and just took it one hit at a time.”

In the final set, Perk Valley again grabbed a 4-2 lead largely due to the outstanding play of Wiley and her ability use great positioning and accuracy as she posted all four points in game five of the set.

Phoenixville (5-0 league, 7-0 overall) took control of the final set for the first time as Trainer and Newman, who are playing their first season as a duo, broke serve for the fifth time in the match, which propelled them to a 7-5 win, claiming the win for the hosts.

“From the first set we knew it was all or nothing,” said Newman. “We focused on hitting good shots and not beating ourselves. This is so exciting to beat a great team like PV and to be undefeated in the league still. We could not have asked for anything more in our senior year. Now we just have to take it one match at a time and keep it going.”

“Wow, who comes back from 6-0,” added Zittel. “They had a rough week, but really made up for it today. I don’t know where that came from, but what a great time to get it going.”

Phoenixville hosts Upper Merion in a non-league match on Monday, and then travels to Pope John Paul II on Tuesday.

 Singles

1)   Lexi Crovetti (PHX) def. Emily Wendel (PV)  6-2, 6-2

2)   Hannah Toombs (PV) def. Meghan Clark (PHX)  6-1, 6-2

3)   Leona Kretzu (PV) def. Carly Milano (PHX)  6-0, 6-0

 Doubles

1)   Mary Newman and Maddie Trainer (PHX) def. Vini Kumar and Jeanette Wiley (PV)  0-6, 7-6 (11-9), 7-5

2)   Marlee Farbstein and Lauren Jenkins (PHX) def. Danielle Newbill and Abena Aggrey (PV)  6-2, 6-1

3)   Tori Teter and Stacey Miles (PHX) def. Nicole Caromano and Alexa Bachinsky (PV)  1-6, 6-4, 7-5

4)    Addie Lazzell and Kira Landis (PHX) def. Emma Mantey and Abby Dove (PV)  7-5, 2-6, 6-2