Girls’ Varsity Tennis Wins New England Class B Championship
Only a few years after moving up to Class B, Rivers girls’ varsity tennis made history with their first-ever New England Class B Championship title. Entering the playoffs as the #2 seed, the Red Wings began their postseason with a 5-0 sweep over #7 Dana Hall on Saturday at St. George’s. Only a few hours later, they battled ISL foe Middlesex, leaving the courts with another 5-0 victory to advance them to the championship.
On Sunday, the team defeated #1-seeded Kingswood Oxford, the defending champions from 2024, to secure victory for the New England Class B Championship. Doubles pairs Anna Schlenker ’26 and Ella Gardner ’28; and Kate Hayes ’26 and Nicole Lidforss ’25 secured victories. Leah Jin ’25, Gardner, Hayes, and Barrie Abraham ’26 won singles matches to clinch it for the Red Wings.
In her first year as head coach, Melissa Parrish guided the team to capture their first Class B title in school history—and their first New England title in girls’ tennis since 2001. “I couldn’t be more proud of my team this past weekend,” said Coach Parrish. “They’ve put in a lot of hard work over the past couple of weeks, and the girls really stepped up and rose to the occasion when it mattered most. They took everything we’ve been working on all season long and weren’t afraid to execute. Not only did they play great tennis, but they also remained level-headed and had excellent sportsmanship throughout the tournament.” Boys’ Varsity Tennis Coach Phil Parrish, who is Melissa’s father, joined the team Sunday as an assistant to help them bring it home, adding to the special moment.
“I’m beyond excited and happy for them!” said Coach Melissa Parrish. “Go Red Wings!”
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