By Steve Bigham

The Newtown High School girls’ tennis team has jumped out of the gates this spring with a record of 2-1. And, after being rained out for much of this week, the Nighthawks look to up their record against three league opponents next week.

Newtown opened the season last week with wins over New Fairfield and Bunnell before dropping its third match to a tough Lauralton Hall team.

On April 12, Carol Lipnick’s netters edged New Fairfield, 4-3, behind three singles victories. The Rebels defeated Newtown a year ago. Alexis Nahoum beat Jenny Thomas, 6-0, 6-2, at second singles, while Kristin Daugherty knocked of Molly Karlin, 6-2, 6-4. Caroline Kunkel also won, defeating Katie McQuirk, 7-6 (7-1), 6-2.

Kaitlyn Lavery lost at first singles to the talented Beth Clark, 6-2, 6-2.

In doubles, Amanda Cruz and Rachel Stern defeated Saffron Henze and Kate Avseniadas, 6-3, 6-3, in the days’ deciding match. The first doubles team of Monica Alpert and Caitlin Martin lost to Beth MacMillan and Kristin Miller, 2-6, 7-6, 7-5, while Maria Pavelo and Jackie Alpert lost to Jen Sylvester and Katie Hipp, 6-4, 6-4, at second doubles.

Newtown rolled over Bunnell in Stratford, 7-0, April 13 as Lavery upended Katia Sutyak, 6-4, 6-1, Nahoum defeated Natalie Komoroski 6-3, 6-0, Daugherty got by Amy Poniatowki 6-4, 6-1, and Kunkel shutout Maria Murolo 6-0, 6-0.

Due to darkness, the doubles matches played eight-game pro sets and the first doubles team of Martin and Alpert proceeded to blank Kara Tranquilo and Adrienne Zaleski, 8-0. Pavelo and Cruz defeated Rachel Boulton and Emily Bajko, 8-4, while Kali Santarpia and Liz Hoffman defeated Amy Green and Christine Jelenik, 8-2

Newtown came up short at home versus Lauralton Hall last Friday, losing all seven matches, although a few of them were very close.

In a pair of marathon matches, Daugherty lost to Heather Higgins, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1, and Kunkel lost to Jen Francini 6-1, 4-6, 6-2.

Lavery was defeated by Shannon Bergin, 6-2, 6-0, and Nahoum lost to Meghan Fitzgerald, 6-2, 6-2.

At first doubles, Martin and Alpert fell to Courtney Collins and Casey Cunningham, 6-3, 6-1, while the second doubles team of Jackie Alpert and Christina Andrews lost to Courtney D’Elia and Clare Donnelly 6-0, 6-1. Santarpia and Hoffman got off to a strong start at third doubles before finally falling to Alex Montali and Rachel Benedetto, 5-7, 6-1, 6-0.

With better depth than last year, Lipnick believes her young team will continue to improve as the season rolls along.