SHREWSBURY, Mass. - Foxboro girls tennis reached the Division 2 State Championship for the first time in program history but were unable to dethrone Concord-Carlisle, who earned it's third straight D2 State Championship with a 3-2 decision over the Warriors.
The Patriots - who have just one loss in three years (57-1) - made quick work by sweeping doubles play and then after roughly a 30-minute rain delay, earned the third and clinching point at first singles for the win.
Foxboro finishes the season 19-2 overall after earning their first ever South Sectional title.
"They lived up to the school name, they are Warriors," Foxboro first-year head coach Alan Lightbody said. "Every one of them is a Warrior. I'm just so proud of these girls, they worked so hard all year long. We gave it our best shot. We had a really good run this year and we look forward to getting started for next season already and see if we can get back here."
To start, C-C's first double pairing of Sarah Yang and Meredith Block, who were the North's individual double champions, swept 6-0, 6-0. The Patriots' second doubles team followed suit just seconds later, replicating the same result of 6-0, 6-0 to put Concord-Carlisle up 2-0.
It wasn't an unfamiliar deficit for Foxboro, who won all of their playoff games 3-2 by sweeping singles play.
At first singles, C-C's Julia Cancio took the first set over Foxboro's Diana Prinos 6-0 but in the middle of the second set, the skies opened up and the players were forced off the court. After the rain stopped and officials rolled the court dry with squeegees, all three singles games resumed.
The break seemed to help Diana Prinos as the game picked up more back and forth flow, but Cancio's strength and pace proved too much as she pulled away in the second set to win 6-0, 6-1 and clinch C-C's third point for the win.
"She's the best player so far that we've seen this season," Lightbody said of Cancio. "She's always right up there in the state tournament and I wish her all the best going off to college next year. It's one less thing for us to worry about next year maybe."
But even with the Patriots having already clinched the win, both second and third singles needed to finish out. And there was still plenty at stake for the Foxboro players - senior Emma Prinos at second singles and freshman Lexi Nelson at third singles. Both players were undefeated in team play on the season heading into the finals.
Emma Prinos fell down early in the first set, 3-2, and eventually dropped it to her opponent, Bella Stone, 6-3. But with her undefeated senior season on the line, Prinos battled back.
She sharpened up her play and took the second set 6-2 and in the 10-point tiebreaker, took control and won it 10-5 to win the set, 3-6, 6-3 (10-5) and finish her senior season unbeaten. Prinos is set to play tennis at Stonehill College next year.
"Emma's a battler," Lightbody said. "She never gives up and she's in there right until the final point no matter what. She had 13 matches that were 6-0, 6-0 in a row during the reason. She had a solid season and career and we wish he all the best off at college."
In third singles, the first set was still in play after the rain delay - the only one to still be. Nelson rarely overpowered her opponent Maggie D'Eramo but on the same token, rarely made a mistake. Nelson kept the ball in play and forced D'Eramo to try and beat her in different ways. Nelson took the first set 6-2 and as the second set went on, all eyes turned to court three.
Even with the extra attention, the freshman didn't falter and after going up 3-0, went up 4-1 and then 5-2. In the final effort, she earned four straight points to get the win, 6-2, 6-2 and finish her first year unbeaten.
"It's been a really great ride for all of us this season and especially for me being a first time coach here, seeing these girls grow not only as tennis players but as individuals," Lightbody said. "To all come together as a team, it was special."
Ryan Lanigan can be contacted at [email protected] and followed on Twitter at @R_Lanigan.