“It would be great if I could do this for my team,” she said.
SUDBURY — Before Jackie Burns clinched a win at third singles and secured top-seeded Weston’s spot in the Division 3 girls’ tennis state championship match, there was only one thing on her mind.
Jackie Burns’ victory at third singles clinched Weston’s spot in the Division 3 state championship match on Saturday at MIT.
Burns went through four rackets over the two sets and battled through a lingering shoulder injury, but she still defeated Wayland’s Selena Liv 6-2, 6-3 in a 4-1 victory over the fifth-seeded Warriors (7-11) on Monday. When she scored the final point, her teammates and coach let her hear their excitement.
“[Burns’s] mental game is so strong,” Weston coach Dyanne Sainato said. “That was the best win for her, I think, all season.”
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Weston’s Olivia Rome didn’t lose a game at second singles. Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
The Wildcats (10-8), who entered the tournament with a 6-8 record after playing a tough regular season schedule in the Dual County League, swept singles play. Olivia Chen won first singles 6-2, 6-2 and Olivia Rome didn’t lose a single game in her straight-sets win at No. 3.
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“[Chen] and [Rome] have been phenomenal for us all season, just lights out against everyone,” Sainato said.
Maya Rosen and Katie Gaw won a hard-fought 6-4, 4-6, 10-6 battle at second doubles for the Wildcats.
Wayland’s first doubles duo of Morgen Warner and Arya Samaratunga looked strong, picking up a 6-2, 6-0 victory. First-year head coach Pete Santo is hoping to build momentum toward next year, when he can retain most of his roster.
“Coming out today and competing like we did was great, I’m proud of everyone,” he said. “Today is not going to dampen the progress we made.”
Weston, which won the 2010 and 2019 Division 3 championships, will face either No. 2 Newburyport (18-3) or No. 3 Dover-Sherborn (21-0), who face off Tuesday in North Reading, in Saturday’s state final at MIT.