Chatham girls defend MCT tennis title again
MORRISTOWN — Michelle Moran couldn’t wait. She had to be the first to congratulate Leyla Morelli after she won the Morris County Tournament second doubles title.
Moran, a Chatham senior captain, dashed around the outside of Villa Walsh’s courts and almost tackled Morelli. The Cougars all celebrated their 12th straight MCT girls tennis title.
Chatham finished with 22 points, three ahead of second-place Mendham.
“It’s so much fun. Winning with this team is so cool,” said Morelli, a sophomore in her first varsity season. “The captains (Moran and second doubles Eden Heitlinger) are such special people. They always encourage us to play our best and be confident.”
Chatham trailed Mendham by two points heading into the second day of play. The Minutemen had a one-point lead as the finals started, and players in every match.
But the Cougars swept all four of their finals. Whippany Park senior Audrey Rha, a three-time champion, was the only winner who is not from Chatham.
“I was really sad the whole time, thinking, ‘This is the last counties I’m playing,'” said Rha, the Wildcats’ only female MCT tennis champ, who plans to continue to play at Williams College.
She thanked teammates Anna Koch and Amanda Wickenheiser for cheering her on in the final, and also celebrated with her dog, a Pomeranian-spitz mix called Som – “snowball” in Korean – which has attended nearly all her matches. Of Chatham, Rha said, “Every year they’re the best. It’s always fun to watch.”
Moran and her partner Mary Zhang had the closest match, coming from 9-6 down in a third-set tiebreaker to win first doubles 6-4, 4-6, 12-10. The Cougars won two points on Mendham’s serve, then one on Moran’s, before switching sides and hanging on. Moran volleyed in the final point, choosing to play aggressively.
“It’s not over until it’s over. You have to stay in the point,” said Moran, who has won three MCT first doubles titles. “It’s definitely stressful to keep the tradition, but we all work really hard for it.”
Team scores
Chatham 22, Mendham 19; Montville 12; Whippany Park 11; Hanover Park and Morristown Beard 10; Mountain Lakes and Randolph 8; Mount Olive 7; Morris Hills, Parsippany Hills St. Elizabeth, Villa Walsh and West Morris 6; Parsippany 5; Morristown 4; Madison 3; Morris Knolls and Roxbury 2; Kinnelon 1; Boonton, Morris Catholic and Pequannock 0
Finals results
First singles: Audrey Rha (WP) def. Sofia Cicerone (Mend), 6-4, 6-0; Second singles: Joyce Zhang (Ch) def. Audrey Lee (HP) 6-0, 6-3; Third singles: Leyla Morelli (Ch) def. Mia Larry (Mend), 6-0, 6-1; First doubles: Mary Zhang and Michelle Moran (Ch) def. Maya Vinu and Dakota Hanson (Mend), 6-4, 4-6, 12-10; Second doubles: Kelly Nie and Eden Heitlinger (Ch) def. Logan Hanson and Gretchen Tresselt (Mend), 6-1, 6-1.
This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: NJ girls tennis: Morris County Tournament
