Horace Mann tennis takes first step toward title repeat

By Stephen Caruso

Horace Mann's varsity girls' tennis team passed its first test Monday on the journey to repeat as Ivy League champions, after sharing the title with Poly Prep last year.

The Lady Lions claimed four of five matches at the Andrew Feinberg Tennis Center to best hilltop-rival Fieldston in the season-opener for both squads.

Horace Mann sophomore Lauren Del Prete proved to be in control in the No. 1 singles spot, handily defeating Eagles' senior co-captain Ruksi Anandani, 6-1, 6-1.

Lady Lions' head coach Dotty DiCintio praised her young star after the match, noting, "Lauren is fairly dominant in most of her matches, she's a very strong player."

Horace Mann's second singles player, Danielle Ellison, had a much tougher time in her match against Fieldston's other senior co-captain Annie Deboer. Despite dropping the second set, however, Ellison bounced back impressively to take the third set and the match, 6-0, 2-6, 6-1.

The Lady Lions swept both doubles matches, as well, to clinch their first victory of the season. Seniors Melissa Goldstein and Lions' co-captain Isabel Christman-Cohen easily downed the Eagles' pair of sophomores, Meredith Friedman and Rachel Sarnoff, 6-3, 6-0 for the win. The Lions' duo of co-captains Lindsay Gelman and junior Andrea Yoss defeated seniors Alexa Modungo and Sophie Harris-Dyer, 6-1, 6-2.

Fieldston's only victory of the afternoon came in the No. 3 singles contest, where Eagles' sophomore Emma Kurz turned in a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Lions' junior Catherine Hu in a relatively long and competitive match.

Eagles' head coach Dan Boxwell remained positive despite the loss.

"We always talk about personal progress and improving individual skills, and as you move on, the wins usually come with that," the coach said.

Horace Mann played Monday's match without last year's top singles player Clare Sipprelle, who is still recovering from off-season surgery after tearing the ACL in her right knee. DiCintio is hopeful that Siprelle will be able to make a mid- October return, admitting that a healthy Siprelle makes the Lady Lions an even stronger team. However, her status is still uncertain.

"I think our prospects are good [to be in contention for the Ivy League title]," said DiCintio. "And if we get back to full strength, they'll be even better."