Post publication update:
Melrose qualifies for MIAA Div. 2 state tournament, earning the #31 seed and will face Malden Catholic in their first game.
For more details and to view the bracket, click here.
Published May 23, 2025
Tennis girls are poised for a playoff run
Three straight wins keep playoff hopes alive
By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE—It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. That was the sentiment of MHS girls’ tennis coach Lydia Mays after a winning week that has kept Melrose in playoff contention in Div. 2, after rising in Power Rankings from #37 to #32 following three straights wins this week. The victories came courtesy of Freedom rivals Watertown and Stoneham and non-league North Reading. This Friday, final rankings and playoff brackets will be released. Any team who is either .500 or ranked #33 or higher in their division move on. So, with the regular season behind them, and Melrose firmly at #32, the forecast looks good.
“The best thing is seeing this team grow together,” coach Mays said this week. “We had a challenging start to the season, especially against some of the ‘large’ competition, but this team has really shown how much fight they have. They have such grit.”
Melrose picked up a win on Senior Night on Thursday, May 15 at home at the Lyons Court in a clutch 3-2 win over the Spartans. They were honoring outgoing seniors Natalia Menjivar, Aarya Ayal, Nancy Lau, Mina Zheng and Charlotte Demers. And those seniors were no doubt thrilled at the victory that saw wins in third singles by Jane Teittinen and both doubles pairs, by Mina Zheng and Natalia Menjivar in in first singles and Meryl Stratford and Lexi Miller, 6-4, 6-4 in second singles. In first singles Melrose saw their duo battle hard in sets of 6-4, 4-6 and 7-5, an exhausting effort that ultimately helped allow Melrose to prevail.
Buoyed by the win, Melrose traveled to Watertown on Monday and prevailed in another narrow 3-2 win over the Raiders at Victory Courts. According to coach Kane, Melrose was up against a talented, and young, Raider squad. And they had their work cut out for them. The coach notes, “This was a young team with 8thgraders on it, very talented ones and they pushed us as far as we could go.”
Taking victory in singles was Tess Isakson and both their doubles teams prevailed in three set wins. Melrose had two tie breaking sets in the day, making for some gripping action.
And the icing on the cake was a season finale victory against a strong North Reading team at home on Tuesday. Against the Hornets, Melrose may have assured a playoff spot in a 3-2 regular season finale victory that saw wins from Tess Isakson in singles and wins by doubles players Mina Zheng and Natalia Menjivar in first singles and Meryl Stratford and Lexi Miller.
Coach Mays is glad that Melrose is playing their best tennis at the right time. And as they remain on the inside edge of Power Rankings, the team has certainly set a great tone when playoffs happen.
“Winning isn’t everything,” says coach Mays. “But wanting to, is. And these girls do.”
Fans are encouraged to visit our social media pages or the MIAA website at www.miaa.net for updated playoff information.