Powered By Singles, Monomoy Girls Tennis Becomes Dominant Force

HARWICH – Two sophomores and an eighth grader make up what is, to Bill Burke, perhaps the strongest set of singles players he’s had in his 10 years coaching the Monomoy girls tennis team.

Those players — sophomore Hanadi Rezk, eighth grader Ella Cutter and sophomore Darcy Addison — have set the tone for the 8-3 Sharks. The trio is backed by depth at the doubles positions that has made Monomoy a dominant force this year and likely the next couple of years.

 “I think we’re a very strong team in the league, and especially this year, we have three very strong singles teams which gets us far,” Rezk said.

Monomoy lost 3-2 to an undefeated Martha’s Vineyard team Friday in a home match that acted as a “barometer” for the group, according to Burke. Earlier in the season, Martha’s Vineyard had defeated Monomoy 4-1.

 “It’s not where you start in March, but it’s where you’re going in late May and getting into the tournament, and so everyone knows they’ve got to keep getting better,” Burke said. “Even though we’re a good team with a good record, we can’t just kind of roll it out the same every day.”

In the match at Brooks Park, Cutter won in second singles 6-1, 6-0 against Martha’s Vineyard freshman Charlotte Marshard, and Addison defeated senior Ellie Pennington 6-0, 6-3 in third singles. Cutter had lost to Marshard in the previous match and “wanted to make up for some mistakes,” she said.

 “I was just more motivated to win,” Cutter said. “Because I had lost, I wanted to prove myself to her.”

The Sharks then followed up with a 5-0 win Monday over Bourne. Cutter and Addison both won again, and Rezk won in first singles. Freshman Cecilia Hand and senior Karina Khalsa won in first doubles, and junior Madison Mahfouz and sophomore Alexa Babes-Deel won in second doubles

At this point in the year, Burke doesn’t think too much about MIAA power rankings or the state tournament but rather just wants to finish the season strong, fresh and feeling like the team is on the rise, he said.

 “I just want to keep firsthand seeing progress and improvement,” Burke said. 

Monomoy made a run to the quarterfinals in the Division 4 state tournament in 2024, and while the team is younger this year, Addison and Rezk both said they think the team can go even farther.

Off the court, the group has intangibles, according to Burke. The Sharks, within an individualized sport, are fun and have team spirit, he said.

 “I think there’s a culture that’s been established that demands respect amongst the players, teamwork and team building,” he said. “I think that’s part of it.”

That sense of cohesion — Addison said the Sharks are a “really close-knit team” — lends itself to playing better tennis. 

 “Having a close team really affects how you play on the court, especially in doubles. so I think it helps us a lot,” Rezk said.