Julianne Ma won a t second singles for Northern Highlands, which advanced to the North 1, Group 3 state sectional semifinals with a 5-0 sweep of Mount Olive.
ALLENDALE – Coming into this season, Northern Highlands had modest expectations. Just to be in the mix for a league title, to make a representative showing in the Bergen County Tournament, and make a run at a section title would have been enough to call the 2024 season a successful one. After finishing as the top public-school team in the counties and locking up an outright Big North-Freedom Division title with a win over Ridgewood on Monday, the Highlanders are hungry for more. With the season winding down and the state tournament now upon them, they are looking to finish off a dream season with a section title.
The first step towards that came Tuesday as seniors Riley Fuchs and the duo of Lauren Perez and Sophia Bergman at first singles and first doubles, respectively, led the way as top-seeded Northern Highlands cruised into the North 1, Group 3 semifinals with a 5-0 quarterfinal win over No. 8 seed Mount Olive in Allendale.
The Highlanders’ lineup is not filled with superstar players. What they do have though is a deep lineup that all play with the same approach and the same desire to see their fellow teammates succeed.
“What makes this team great is not just how hard they work, but also how close they are,” said Northern Highlands’ head coach Chris Broking. “Normal tennis seasons have peaks and valleys, but it’s pretty much been all peaks for us. They come in with an aggressive mindset and they are not afraid to go for shots. That has helped us in some big matches, including the win over Ridgewood to secure the league title.”
Riley Fuchs and Julianne Ma have been solid at first and second singles all season. They were able to consistently move their opponent around the court and then pounce on their opportunities to hit winners. They combined to drop just five games in recording straight-set wins. Juliana Carucci has been a pleasant surprise at third singles. She had her serve and return game working right from the get-go to secure the clinching point for the Highlanders.
Sophia Bergman and Lauren Perez made quick work of their match at first doubles.
“We all support each other, and we all play better when we’re relaxed,” said Fuchs. “We’ve been so happy with how we’re playing and how the season is going. But after counties we knew that we were capable of even more. Playing aggressive, going for shots, and not being afraid mistakes is how we all like to play.”
The doubles tandems have been equally as strong for Northern Highlands. Sophia Bergman has developed into a solid player at first doubles after playing third singles last year. Her punishing ground strokes set up Lauren Perez to dominate at the net. Second-doubles duo Amelie Vern and Anika Rothe have quickly formed a chemistry that makes the Highlanders just as dangerous at the bottom of the lineup as they are at the top. Both duos notched straight-set wins to make a clean sweep.
This next week will be an interesting one for Northern Highlands (14-1). A showdown with archrival Ramapo is on tap on Wednesday in the final regular-season match of the season before facing off against Fort Lee in the North 1, Group 3 semifinals on Thursday. A win over Fort Lee would give the Highlanders a berth in the section final against either Tenafly or Ramapo, two teams they have already beaten this season but in tight battles.
While the main goal from this point on is to win a section title, the goal within the goal is to continue spending time together as a team.
“When you’re a senior and you’re on a team as close as we are, we’re just fighting for another day to spend together. Whether it’s practicing, in a big match, or off the court we enjoy being around each other,” said Fuchs. “It’s exciting to be with this team and to have another championship to shoot for. This season has been amazing, but it’s gone by fast and we don’t want to end yet.”
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