The Old Rochester Regional girls tennis team’s 10-year reign as South Coast Conference champions ended Thursday, May 29 in the first round of the MIAA Girls Tennis South Division 3 tournament. The 9th seeded Lady Bulldogs played against 8th seeded Cape Cod Academy during an away match.

ORR fell 1- 4 to the Seahawks, but the score of the overall match didn’t reflect the intensity of individual matches.

The Lady Bulldog’s lone match win came from Junior Julia Nojeim at first singles. First doubles partnership Senior Triona Cuddy and Sophomore Morgan Middleton fought to take their match into a second set tiebreak. Senior Haley Dickerson lost at second singles, 6-4 6-4. Considering Dickerson played the entire match on a broken toe, those scores are impressive.

After the match, the reality of the season ending sank in for Cuddy.

“The season was good,” she said. “Surprising, eventful, and a good time.”

Head Coach Robert Hohne agreed.

“While our consecutive championship streak came to an end, the team should be proud of its third place finish and qualifying for the states. Considering how young and inexperienced we were, our final record reflects the team’s commitment to improve,” Hohne said. The Lady Bulldogs finished their season with a 10-9 record.

Next year, the Lady Bulldogs will have to fill three varsity spots left vacant by graduating seniors. Cuddy, a steady first doubles player, will attend the University of Delaware.  Second singles player Dickerson will attend the University of Arizona. Second doubles player Rachel Brown will attend Quinnipiac University come fall.

With a total of 14 underclassmen, ORR has players to fill these open slots. Newcomers to the team this year included: junior Sierra Ennis; sophomores Serena Jaskolka, Amy Bichajian; and freshmen KK Bindas, Ashley Clapp, Sophie Church, Emma Collings, Emma Gelson, Maddi Lawrence, Lex Parker, Krishna Patel and Cheyenne Reed. Each one of these first year players, along with returning players Nojeim, Middleton, and Charlotte Levine, will compete for positions next season.

In Hohne’s words, “We have laid the skills groundwork for improvement.  It is now up to the players to work on their games so that we can challenge for the South Coast Conference next year.”