Old Rochester girls’ tennis off to flawless 7-0 start
May 1, 2024
Liz Houdelette serves in Old Rochester’s 5-0 victory over Joseph Case High School on Tuesday, April 30. Photos by Brendan Cassidy
Neva Matos returns the ball in her match. Matos is the reigning South Coast Conference Most Valuable Player.
Sisters Liz and Caroline Haudelette take the court together in a doubles match.
The Bulldogs stand just before the start of the match. The win improved their record to 7-0 in 2024.
Neva Matos serves.
Neva Matos flips her number on the scoreboard after winning a game.
Matos and Macy Ingham compete in singles matches. Both won handedly.
Head Coach Kyle Noseworthy gives the Haudelette sisters some advice during a break from their match.
MATTAPOISETT — One word that can describe the start of the season for the Old Rochester Regional High School girls tennis team is perfect.
A high school tennis match is made up of five different matches: three singles and two doubles, with the team winning three or more of the five claiming victory.
Thus far, the Bulldogs are 7-0 and have won each match by a score of 5-0. This means that Bulldog players have defeated all 35 of their opponents this season. Not a single player or duo has lost their respective match.
“It’s the standard for us now,” said head coach Kyle Noseworthy. “We want to win everything 5-0. That is our goal.”
On Tuesday, April 30, the Bulldogs did just that, defeating Joseph Case High School at home, 5-0.
Leading the way in the singles positions for Old Rochester were Neva Matos, Macy Ingham and Delaney Chase, each winning their respective match in straight sets.
“This is a team where with my singles, I know we can get the job done a lot of the time,” said Noseworthy.
Matos won 6-0, 6-0, not dropping a single game.
Noseworthy described Matos, a sophomore and the reigning South Coast Conference MVP, as “a rare talent.”
“I’m just lucky to have her on this team,” said Noseworthy. “Neva is a great kid and she helps out all of the other kids. I call her the anchor of the team. She holds the team down, she keeps us in line and she sets the standard.”
Sisters Liz and Caroline Houdelette were paired up in the first doubles position, winning their match two sets to none.
Senior captain Alice Prefontaine took home her first varsity win with Mari Sudofsky on the second doubles court, sealing the victory in a tiebreaking third set.
Noseworthy said that one factor that has contributed to the early success of the team is the way that the players have bonded.
“This team is so tight, every kid talks to every kid,” said Noseworthy. “It makes it so much fun. It’s a great environment and it shows when they are on the court because they support the kid next to them.”
The Bulldogs’ season ended in the MIAA round of 16 in 2022 and the round of 8 in 2023. This season, Noseworthy hopes that the team can go at least one step further.
“We want to get to the final four, but as long as we have fun along the way, make it a few rounds into the playoffs and the kids are happy, that's all I really care about,” said Noseworthy. “You can tell when a team is put together, and it feels right. This team feels that way.”
