Saratoga Springs girls' tennis captures first Section 2 title since 2013

LATHAM – After years of heartbreak, the Saratoga Springs girls' tennis team finally finished on top. The Blue Streaks captured their first Section 2 Class AA title since 2013 with a 6-3 victory over previously unbeaten Guilderland on Friday at Shaker High School, breaking a seven-year streak of runner-up finishes in thrilling fashion.

The win was years in the making and emblematic of the team's trademark grit and mental fortitude. Saratoga battled back from early deficits across several courts, turning tense moments into turning points.

"Anytime you see adversity, that's one thing we always tell them-it's not about when you fall, it's about how you get back up," Saratoga coach Tim O'Brien said. "If they lost a point, it was about how they played the next one. You saw that on every court tonight."

Saratoga reached the championship after an 8-1 semifinal win over Shaker, while Guilderland advanced with an 8-1 victory over Shenendehowa. The rematch between the two league powers - Guilderland had edged Saratoga 5-4 during the regular season - lived up to the billing. After six matches, the score was tied 3-3, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

That finish came courtesy of doubles duo Ella McGuinness and Maria Rizzo, who delivered one of Saratoga's most memorable performances in recent years. After dropping the opening set, they clawed back with sharper communication and relentless energy to clinch the decisive point with a three-set victory, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).

"The first set wasn't what we wanted, but we fought and came back," Rizzo said. "Even when we didn't get a point, we just thought in the present and not in the past."

McGuinness added: "After we won the second set, she told me, ‘We didn't win the second set to lose the third.' We pushed ourselves this year, and even though we were down, we kept our mental state up and fought all the way back. That's the best feeling."

Singles players Caroline Travis and Nazek Gheith also came from behind to secure crucial wins. Travis triumphed despite dropping the first set without winning a game, while Gheith won 1-6, 6-4, 6-4.

"Before the match, I really had a good feeling," Gheith said. "During the match, I lost my first set, but then I looked at all the girls around me working hard, and I felt inspired. I owed it to them to do the same."

Travis echoed that sentiment: "I just felt the energy of everyone. It kept me going, kept me pushing."

That unity has been Saratoga's foundation all season.

"They just came together as teammates and really ended up playing for each other," O'Brien said. "A lot of times, tennis isn't seen as a team sport, but when you're out on these courts playing for somebody else, it's all about the team."

The Blue Streaks won five of six singles matches, including Brooklyn Kelling's 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 victory. Guilderland claimed two of three doubles contests, led by Kevala Ramkobair and Mannat Mishra, who earned a three-set win.

The Section 2 singles and doubles tournaments begin Saturday at Shenendehowa High School, featuring 187 competitors, with finals set for next Thursday. Saratoga will next face the Class A champion for a spot in the regionals.

For O'Brien and his players, though, Friday night was about more than advancing. It was about finishing what so many before them had started.

"I'm happy not just for the kids that are playing here tonight, but for all the kids that played in those finals over the seven years," O'Brien said. "For this team to get that done for them and for themselves-we're super proud."

This article originally published at Saratoga Springs girls' tennis captures first Section 2 title since 2013.