The 4th-ranked Fairfield girls tennis team continued their undefeated season Wednesday, defeating Mount Pleasant 8-1 despite being short-handed due to injuries and scheduling conflicts.
The victory improved Fairfield’s record to 8-0 overall and a perfect 6-0 in conference play, keeping their championship hopes alive as they approach the final stretch of the regular season.
Fairfield’s singles players showed their depth and talent with five convincing victories. Poojita Mukadam led the way with an 8-0 shutout win over Lila Cook, while Ria Ross matched that dominance with her own 8-0 victory against Mia Gray. Sriya Yammanur secured an 8-3 win over Katana Phangchanthong, and Faeven Gebremariam blanked Bella Dodds 8-0. Tula Sorflaten provided the most dramatic singles match of the day, edging Lianah Phangchanthong in a tight 9-7 contest. Soumya Mallick rounded out the singles victories with an 8-5 win over Shaye Barbee.
The doubles matches proved more competitive, with Fairfield taking two of three contests. The duo of Ross and Yammanur dominated Cook and Dodds 8-1, while Sorflaten partnered with Aubrey Ryan for an 8-4 victory over L. Phangchanthong and Barbee.
Mount Pleasant’s lone victory came in doubles when Gray and K. Phangchanthong defeated Gebremariam and Mallick 9-7. The Fairfield pair showed resilience, rallying from a 3-6 deficit to tie the match, but couldn’t maintain their momentum in the final games.
Fairfield faced significant lineup adjustments due to multiple absences. Mukadam had to leave early and couldn’t participate in doubles competition, while Natalie Steele was unavailable due to her commitments with the volleyball team. Additionally, Mareyn Dunkin continues to recover from an injury that has kept her sidelined.
The Trojans face a challenging weekend at the Grayhound Girls Tennis Invite in Burlington on Saturday, September 6th. The tournament features strong competition including host Burlington, Burlington Notre Dame, and 9th-ranked Pleasant Valley from Class 2A.
Coach Dunkin acknowledged the difficulty of competing with a depleted roster but emphasized team development over results for the weekend tournament. With only 7 players available and Mukadam absent for SAT testing, the coach hopes to see continued growth from players stepping into elevated roles.
Steele will move up to the number 1 singles position, while Ross and Yammanur will compete at 1st doubles. He notes that this will be great for them, facing the best competition against other 1st position players. Despite the challenges, Dunkin’s primary focus remains on team health and chemistry building.
The tournament serves as preparation for a crucial conference showdown with Burlington on Monday, September 8th at home. That match will determine conference champions, as both teams have strong conference records heading into the final week of league play. It will also be Fairfield’s last regular season match at home, so make sure to support the girls as they get ready for the postseason.
