Merrimack Valley Life

High School Sports

Resilient tennis team hopes for post-season sparks


Behind coach Ian Valcich, the Blue Devils tennis team is scrapping for a post-season appearance. Courtesy images

Behind coach Ian Valcich, the Blue Devils tennis team is scrapping for a post-season appearance. Courtesy images

It’s a game in which a narrow white line can prove the difference between beaming success and dour failure.

Each flick of the wrist, every stroke of the shoulder can influence which way the outcome ultimately sways.

At present, Ian Valcich finds his Salem High girls tennis team teetering about the .500 arc, unclear of exactly what their collective future holds.

“Right now we have four matches left in our season and are fighting to get into the playoffs,” Valcich explained. “We certainly got off to a solid start.”

Boasting a 5-5 mark against a fervid Div. 1 backdrop, the lady Devils careened in and out of the victory column through the first half of 2022. Serving up a convincing 6-3 victory over Merrimack in the season opener, Salem tasted setbacks against Pinkerton, Derryfield and Manchester Central.

Now, behind sturdy leadership and a solid work ethic, the Devils look to regain their winning ways in time for a potential playoff berth.

 

 

“The girls have made great improvements at practice,” noted Valcich. “They’ve been working very hard on their skills all season.”

From its salty seniors to its callow newcomers, the Salem ensemble has no doubt exceeded preseason expectations, drubbing Bishop Guertin, Manchester Memorial, Nashua and Spaulding in the process.

Powering the surprising surge have been senior captains Joan Debrocke and Sophie Norcross, also the Devils’ fearsome No. 1 doubles tandem. Together with junior Laura Salamanca, the No. 1 singles performer, the Devils have remained topheavy throughout the first 10 duels.

“Joan and Sophie have done an awesome job being leaders for this team,” Valcich pointed out. “And Laura is our returning number two singles player from last year. In the number one spot, she’s done a great job competing against the best players in the state.”

Such was the case in the recent 8-1 taming of Spaulding, when Salamanca vanquished her Red Raider opponent, 8-1, while the Debrocke-Norcross duo pre- vailed, 9-7.

The girls lacrosse squad recently notched victories of Nashua North and Keene.

The girls lacrosse squad recently notched victories of Nashua North and Keene.

In addition, the junior trio of Ally Coyle, Kassie Smeltzer and Ava Rastello have helped morph Salem into a serious Div. 1 contender. In the Devils’ No. 4, 5 and 6 singles slots, each claimed victory in their April 19 matches to propel Salem to a 7-2 toppling of Manchester Memorial.

“Those three have been key contributors to our team’s success,” added Valcich. “They’ve picked up some huge wins for the team.”

Looking ahead, however, Valcich knows that diligence remains the key ingredient to a sturdy late-season run.

“The girls have shown great resilience in all of their matches,” says Valcich. “They’re always determined to work hard until the very end.”

In other action …

Assuming its role as a NHIAA Div. 1 titan, the SHS softball team continued its rampage through the state ranks in early spring. A perennial mainstay in the state’s top echelon, coach Haley Chandler’s squad blazed out to a fiery 7-2 start, highlighted by a 32-1 decimation of Nashua North.

Behind its offensive firepower, SHS steamrolled Bishop Guertin, Dover, Nashua North and Spaulding in rapid succession, outscoring their foes by a hefty 73-7 margin. Emersen Poulin sparked the defending state champion’s seasonal debut, belting two hits and four RBI in the 14-2 win over BG. Kendall Migliorini’s 3-hit, 2-RBI outing launched the Devils’ 14-0 blanking of Dover, while Ava McNamara knocked home five runs in the rout of NN.

Ace Madison Solt upheld her status at the state’s premier twirler, registering all seven wins for the Devils. Salem sustained a brief, if not stunning, setback, surrendering a 2-1 contest to Windham on April 30. However, Chandler’s crew rebounded with triumphs over Winnacunnet and Bedford in early May. Most recently, the Devils succumbed to Timberlane, 4-0.

Salem’s boys volleyball squad cruised to an impressive 6-3 start, igniting 2022 with shutouts of Pinkerton and Bishop Guertin. More recently, the Devils upended Souhegan, 3-0, behind the 5-kill, 8-ace effort of Nate Sullivan. Tyler Valerio rung up 16 assists while Noah Mustapha tallied seven digs.

The girls lacrosse team (3-5) bumped off Nashua North and Keene to round out April. Emily Wilson and Chloe Stone each scored five times in the 13-3 victory over the Titans, while goaltender Ella Mosto preserved the win over the Blackbirds.

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