By TOM WILLIAMS
In an impressive fall season for Ocean City High School sports teams, the girls tennis team has been the most impressive.
Samantha DiMatteo’s Raiders shut out Cherry Hill West today, 5-0, in the opening round of the NJSIAA Group 3 Tournament to improve their record to 11-1. It marks the first time OCHS has been 11-1 in girls trennis since 2012.
The win over West moves Ocean City into the second round against Central Regional on Monday. The Raiders are the No. 3 seed in South Jersey Group 3. Central, the No. 11 seed, upset No. 6 Hammonton today to advance.
Tomorrow DiMatteo will take her team to Linwood for a re-match with Mainland, the only team to beat them. That match, in mid-September, finished 3-2. The Raiders swept the doubles but couldn’t win one of the singles matches. Kate Carter came real close, losing her No. 3 singles match on a tiebreaker in the third set. If Ocean City can avenge its only defeat tomorrow it will remain in a first place tie with Egg Harbor Township in the Cape-Atlantic League’s American Conference. Mainland lost a conference match to Egg Harbor Township and is currently tied with OCHS and EHT for first place.
In today’s match, Jordan Moyer (7-5) was a 6-0,6-0 winner at No. 1 singles. Gina Schmid (9-3) won her No. 2 singles match, 6-0,6-2. And Carter (9-2) was a 6-0,6-0 winner at No. 3 singles.
In doubles play, Brynn Bowman and Rosalie Graham (11-1) were 6-1,6-0 winners at first doubles. And the undefeated team of Nicole Blum and Ashley Devlin (12-0) won, 6-0,6-1.
Visit the Raider Sports Diary for day-by-day results and schedule at www.OceanCitySports.com.