GREENFIELD — The 31st-seeded Greenfield girls tennis team advanced in the MIAA Division 4 state tournament with a 4-1 preliminary round win over No. 34 David Prouty High School on Davis Street on Tuesday afternoon.
It’s just the second win for a Franklin County team in the current statewide format. It’s the first state tournament win for the Greenfield girls tennis team in the new format, instituted in 2021. The Green Wave won Western Mass. titles in 1994 and 1995.
Amy Mihailicenco of Greenfield prepares for a return against David Prouty, Tuesday in Greenfield. Credit: ADAM HARGRAVES / Staff Photo 
Amy Mihailicenco of Greenfield makes a return against David Prouty, Tuesday in Greenfield. Credit: ADAM HARGRAVES / Staff Photo 
Karinna Kostov of Greenfield approaches the net against David Prouty, Wednesday in Greenfield. Credit: ADAM HARGRAVES / Staff Photo 
Adele Bross of the Greenfield girls tennis team approaches the net against David Prouty, Tuesday in Greenfield. Credit: ADAM HARGRAVES / Staff Photo 
Victoria Zheng of David Prouty goes to the forehand against Greenfield. Credit: ADAM HARGRAVES / Staff Photo 
Adele Bross of Greenfield prepares for a return against David Prouty, Tuesday in Greenfield. Credit: ADAM HARGRAVES / Staff Photo
“It’s a team that supports each other,” Greenfield coach Alexis Silk said. “They show up to the matches and cheer each other on every court that people are playing on. Their support has helped them push through some of their harder matches this season. I think this is one of the more solid wins of the entire season.”
Since the new state tournament format, Franklin County now stands at 2-13 and has never advanced past the Round of 32. The first win was the Mohawk Trail girls over Frontier during a 2022 preliminary round contest.
The Green Wave face the daunting challenge of playing second-seeded Manchester Essex Regional (15-2) on the road. Date and time of the match is still to be determined.
“They just need to show up with a positive mindset,” Silk said. “Tennis is a mental game. If they show up thinking they can do it, they are more likely to play well.”
Amy Mihailicenco won at No. 1 singles for the Green Wave, beating Victoria Zheng 6-1, 6-1. Mihailicenco overcame a bit of a layoff since playing a real competitive match. Zheng, a senior, played her final match for the Panthers’ program. David Prouty High School is located in Worcester County.
“My serves were really good,” Mihailicenco said. “I had good ball movement.”
Karinna Kostov had the toughest match of the warm afternoon at No. 2 singles against Ixareliz Vazquez. Kostov outlasted Vazquez and the heat 6-3, 7-5. Ending the match quicker helped Kostov given the conditions.
“I think I could have tried harder,” Kostov said. “But it would have taken less time winning rather than losing and playing a third set. I think our team is special this year because our the high energy that we have.”
Adele Bross made quick work of Addison Berrios at No. 3 singles 6-1, 6-1. Bross made steady improvements in singles competition this season. Most of the game is mental for Bross.
“I believe in my opinion that tennis is all in your head,” Bross said. “It’s all a mindset. If you keep yourself grounded and you don’t let yourself get upset with how you are playing you will continue to do better. The connection that our team has is very special…when you have a good team and you all support each other you do much better.”
Clara Kelsey and Veralyn Jackson were up 6-0 in No. 1 doubles before a forfeit by the Panthers. David Prouty’s Sara Arrieta and Janeliz Vazquez secured the lone win for the Panthers at No. 2 doubles, beating Natalia Card and Emma Tuttle in a superset, 8-3.
Boys tennis
Dover-Sherborn 5, Turners Falls 0 — The 40th-seeded Thunder got swept by the 25th-seeded Raiders in the preliminary round of the Division 3 state tournament in Dover.
