The Lincoln Academy girls tennis team overcame adversity to win the Class B state championship with a gutsy 3-2 victory over Old Town on Tuesday, June 11 at Bates College in Lewiston. The Eagles fell behind 2-0 in the hot sun before storming back to win all three singles matches and claim the crown.
It was an exciting championship match that seesawed between two undefeated, athletic teams. The Bates College venue for the girls match featured four courts with a quartet of matches being played simultaneously, with the final match between the first singles competitors awaiting the first open court to play the deciding match.
In the early stages of the match, Class B North champion Old Town rallied from behind to win both doubles matches to surprise the Class B South champion Eagles, which set the stage for the competitive drama unfolding in the three singles matches.
The Eagles pairing of Olivia Crooker and Rozalie Vodickova were leading 4-3 in the first set of the first doubles match before the Coyotes got on a roll and won the set 7-5. Sophie Morgan and Aliyah Curtis would hold off the Eagles in the second set to claim the first win for Old Town.
Meanwhile, in second doubles on the neighboring court, the Lincoln Academy pair of Caroline Allan and Lauren Lee held a 4-2 advantage in the first set before Old Town’s Lily Mickel and Madison Davis surged to a 6-5 lead. Allan and Lee won a tense 12th game to tie the set 6-6 and send it into overtime. Old Town went on to win the key tiebreaker 6-2. Mickel and Davis won the second set, too, 6-4, but the Eagles put up a fight in a competitive match.
On an adjacent court, Lincoln Academy second singles player Olive Siegel was in the long process of recovering from a disappointing first set against a patient Allyson Caron. Siegel struggled with her first serves and was frustrated by a nonaggressive opponent who returned shots safely and created a slow, plodding pace that minimized the value of Siegel’s typical hard-shooting, fast-paced style.
Lincoln Academy’s Olive Siegel winds up for a hard backhand shot in her victory over Old Town’s Alyssa Caron during the Eagles’ Class B state championship win on Wednesday, June 11 at Bates College in Lewiston. (Mic LeBel photo)
Siegel, who was undefeated leading up to the match, lost the first set to Allyson Caron 6-2 and appeared to be frustrated and stressed out by falling behind a supposed underdog in a key match. She rebounded after a meeting with Eagles head coach Melissa Burroughs and teammate London Hunter during the set break.
“We tried to get Olive to relax and focus on her breathing,” said Burroughs. “Olive’s typical approach to hit hard shots to overpower an opponent was not working with Caron, who was like a backstop returning everything. So, we suggested that Olive focus on getting Caron to move side to side more to disrupt the pace and that steady style, and to wear her down.”
After the break, Siegel minimized mistakes and surged ahead 3-0 in the second set before Caron adjusted and crept back into it to tie the second set 5-5, putting the championship match at risk.
The spectators throughout the venue could sense the importance of the moment. According to Burroughs, Siegel fed off the energy from the grandstand and persevered to win the tense sixth game, then won the deciding game to take the second set 7-5 to tie the match at 1-1.
“After the second set, Olive and I had a heart-to-heart talk during the break,” said Burroughs. “I just emphasized that she should play like an experienced senior in their final match, in a way she would be proud of whether it be a win or a loss.
The drama was building in the third singles match as well. Lincoln Academy freshman Gigi Blake crushed Old Town’s Savanna Lolar 6-2 in set one, but lost momentum and subsequently the second set 4-6, setting up another three-set competition between the teams.
Blake got her game back together in the third set, and finished off Lolar in convincing fashion 6-1 to give the Eagles their first point to close Old Town’s championship margin to 2-1.
Shortly thereafter, Siegel completed her comeback by outlasting Caron 6-3 in an exhausting final third set to tie the championship at 2-2. The Siegel-Caron match lasted almost three hours on a hot, sunny day.
“That second set was an incredible example of determination and fortitude,” said Burroughs. “Olive grounded herself, worked her way through a tough stretch and then got better and more confident as the match went on.”
As Siegel’s second singles and Blake’s third singles matches were headed toward exciting three-set conclusions in favor of the Eagles, hard-hitting London Hunter, Lincoln Academy’s first singles player, was introduced at the start of her match by the event announcer as the number one singles player in Maine.
Hunter overpowered her opponent, Sadie May 6-2 in the first set while the other critical singles matches were wrapping up. The seemingly unflappable Hunter appeared unfazed by the pressure and won the second set 6-3 to clinch the 3-2 win, setting off a championship celebration on the court by the Eagles.
“It was a great team win, and I’m so proud of everyone that competed on our team this year,” said Burroughs.
The coach also focused praise on Crooker, who may not have won her doubles match that day but had won the respect of her coach.
“Olivia Crooker is a model tennis kid and was the ultimate team player for us,” said Burroughs. “She volunteered to fill a key role for us this season at first doubles and learned a new serve and under-spin shot that elevated her game. Olivia was a hardworking role model for the younger players and spent a lot of important time mentoring them.”
Upon reaching the outer reaches of Newcastle, the state champion Eagles were feted the rest of the jubilant school bus commute home and through the Twin Villages with a celebratory police, fire truck and ambulance escort through town.
“I am so proud of, and happy for the girls,” said Burroughs.
Here are some more bonus photos from the championship match:
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