RHS Girls’ Tennis: Rodilosso on the Rise; Tough Conference Tourney Underway

The Garnets are seeded No. 2 in the Conference Team Tournament, which begins this week at home against Fox Lane.

By Melanie Cane

The Garnets are seeded No. 2 in the Conference Team Tournament, which begins this week at home against Fox Lane. A solid 5-4-1 record got them there. They eked out a 4-3 win against Fox Lane earlier in the season. The tie, which is unusual with seven matches, came against Greeley in an away game September 30. At 3-3, it got dark and Greeley’s coach did not know how to turn on the lights.

The Garnets won their most recent match at home, 5-2, against Keio October 2, but the real story was Rye’s No.1 singles player, freshman Natalie Rodilosso’s 6-3, 6-3 win over Muko Tanaka, who won the state championship last year. Rodilosso, who is undefeated this season, said she was intimidated going into the match and quickly went down 0-3 due to nerves. “But then I started playing my game, which is one of attack, and I won the next six games.”

In the second set, Rodilosso was up 4-0 and then lost three games in a row. “I started to get nervous again, but then I regained my composure and won the next two games to finish off the set.” Rodilosso is ranked No. 10 in the USTAA (NY, NJ, CT) 14-and-under age group. Coach Tony Campbell says the win is a good barometer of what’s to come for this rising star.

Senior co-Captain Alanna Morque, the No. 2 singles player, also faced a formidable foe, Wakana Tanako, a California state doubles champion. Although Morque lost 3-6, 0-6, she said she was thrilled to have won three games.

Freshman Maggie Tolley, who switches between second and third singles and is 8-1 on the season, defeated Kaho Nagayo, 6-2, 7-5. Campbell said she played her heart out.

First doubles team, senior co-Captain Farah Keuleers and Chloe Jennings, lost a very close match, 6-3, 5-7, 11-13. The second doubles team of Isabel Abt and Andrea Peraza won 6-3,7-6. Caley Carlisle and Willa O’Connor won easily at third doubles, 6-1, 6-2. Juli Mascolo and Dana McLaughlin polished off Keio’s fourth doubles’ team, 7-5, 6-1.

Coach Campbell will be pairing Morque and Tolley at first doubles in conference play. He said the Fox Lane match would be “tough,” but that the future looks bright for his young and talented team.