Millburn Girls Tennis on a Roll

Millburn Captures Sixth Straight Essex County Tennis Tournament Title

Millburn Girls Wrap Up Another Championship Season

The girls season ended in the Tournament of Champions semi-finals against Westfield.

The Miller girls tennis team can call itself a dynasty. This season they collected their sixth straight county championship, fifth straight sectional championship, fifth consecutive Group 3 championship, their eighth straight conference championship  (two straight SEC titles) and were among the final four in the state. The bad news for the rest of the state is the 25-2 Millburn girls are losing just one senior and will again be loaded and ready for their annual run in 2011. With all of their singles positions still in tact and three of the four doubles players returning, Millburn's reign at the top of Essex County, North Jersey and Group 3 is very likely to continue. "It was an excellent season, no question," said Millburn head coach …

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Millburn Girls Make it Five Straight Group Titles

The girls tennis team beats Ramapo to win the Group 3 title.

For a short while it looked like the Miller girls tennis team would fall short of its fifth consecutive Group 3 Championship on Wednesday at Mercer County Park. But with their backs up against the wall, Millburn sophomore Tatiana Cherne gutted out a three set win over Ramapo's Katie Nerlino, giving Millburn the 3-2 win. A winner from Nerlino late in the third set gave the Ramapo junior a 5-4 lead at third singles. But Cherne was able to hold serve and then came back from a double game-point deficit to force two deuces and an eventual break serve, giving Cherne a 6-5 lead. Nerlino fought hard in the decisive game, also fighting back from a 40-15 deficit to force two deuces, but Cherne held serve again and held on for a 7-5 third set victory…

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Miller Girls Make It Five Straight Section Titles

The girls tennis team beats Mendham to capture the title.

Minutes after the Miller girls tennis team had wrapped up its fifth consecutive North II Group 3 state sectional championship, the team was told they had to gather to take a team photo. When first doubles starter Patricia Chau asked why, her former partner, Jenna Berkenkamp, had to remind Chau they just had won a championship and that it was a pretty big deal. Monday's routine 4-1 win over Mendham at Newark Academy didn't generate many claps or cheers from the Blue and White and there were no jumps of joy or group hugs. Just a few smiles and giggles. It was businees as usual and just stage one for the Miller girls, who have bigger fish to fry beginning on Wednesday at the Group 3 championships. "We're definitely excited to win every year …

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Double Trouble: Bary and Chau One of State's Top Tandems

Millburn's top tennis doubles team has been crushing the competition this season.

There are times in sports when words like dominance can be used too liberally. In the case of Millburn's first doubles duo, it may not be doing Emily Bary and Patricia Chau enough justice. In 15 matches this season heading into Saturday's quarterfinal round of the state doubles tournament, the girls were unbeaten and have been untouchable. Not only were they a perfect 15-0, but they hadn't lost a set this season and no team had even won five games in a set. On average, teams were winning fewer than 1.5 games per set against Millburn's tandem, meaning in a regular match this season a team would be lucky to steal three games. "Besides being excellent players, they really understand doubles," said Millburn head coach Elliot Lovi. "It's …

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Millers Swing Past Tigers in Round One

Millburn girls tennis opens the state playoffs with a shutout win

The Millburn girls tennis team took a successful first step on Tuesday afternoon in pursuit of a fifth consecutive North II Group 3 state sectional championship. In the opening round in Millburn, the top-seeded Millers eased by visiting Somerville 5-0 for their 14th consecutive win. Millburn did not drop a set and lost just three games en route to the win, which took a bit over 47 minutes to complete. "I thought they were all solid," said Millburn head coach Elliot Lovi. "They all took care of business. They were very business like today." Alex Stone at first singles and both doubles teams of Emily Bary and Pat Chau at first and Jenna Berkenkamp and Lauren Cohen at second each won in straight sets without surrendering a game. Freshman …

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Doubles Tennis Team Advances to State Quarters

Millburn's duo improves to 15-0, but Stearns and Stone fall in singles tourney.

Millburn's top-seeded and unbeaten first doubles team steamrolled through the first weekend of play at the state doubles tournament on Sunday at Mercer County Park. Senior co-captain Emily Bary and sophomore Patricia Chau won two matches on Sunday to advance to quarterfinals. In the second round of the tournament (the girls earned a first round bye), Bary and Chau defeated Michelle Duerstock and Kelly Davis of Kingsway High School (6-0, 6-1). In the third round, Nish Jriwala and Divya Shrirastova of Iselin Kennedy fell to Millburn's duo (6-1, 6-2). Bary won a state doubles championship in 2008 with Melissa Mann as her teammate. Last season, Chau and Jenna Berkenkamp reached the semifinals of the tournament. Bary and Chau are currently 15-0…

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Girls Tennis Improves to 14-1 Heading Into the Tournament

The girls beat West Essex before individual state tournament action this weekend.

It was another great performance for Essex County's top team as the Millburn girls tennis team defeated the visiting West Essex girls 5-0 on Wednesday afternoon in Millburn. The Millers, who advanced to 14-1 with the victory, dropped just six games in the match. Both freshman Maddie Stearns (second singles) and sophomore Tatiana Cherne (third singles) of Millburn won in straight sets without dropping a game and accounted for the first two points for the Millers. First singles star Alex Stone won 6-0, 6-1 over Carly Agrifolio, to seal up the win for Millburn. "I played really well, she's a strong player," Agrifolio said of facing Stone. "I play better against tougher opponents and I stayed in and I made her work for her win. Every game went…

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Millburn Tennis Wins County Championship

Miller girls capture sixth straight county title

The Millers girls tennis head coach Elliot Lovi won't say the team is a dynasty yet, but it won another county championship Saturday. The girls knocked off Newark Academy in the county championship final 5-0 to claim their sixth consecutive county crown at the Althea Gibson tennis center in Branch Brook Park. "It never gets old and every year is different," said Miller head coach Elliot Lovi. "I wouldn't call it a dynasty, we're just on a good run. If we win next year it will be a dynasty." Only the second doubles squad needed an extra set for the win, with the other four matches ending in straight sets. Emily Bary and Pat Chau defeated Emma Baumgartner and Rachel Greene 6-1, 6-0 at first doubles. Alex Stone defeated Molly Alter 6-1, 6-0 …

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Millburn Tennis Improves to 2-0

The Miller girls defeat Villa Walsh Academy 5-0 Tuesday afternoon.

As usual the Millburn girls tennis team is off to a good start, advancing to 2-0 on Tuesday afternoon with a 5-0 victory over Villa Walsh Academy. It was clear very early it would be Millburn's day with the local girls in the lead in all five matches through the first five games played in the opening set. At the end of the contest, most of the Miller girls barely broke a sweat en route to victory. Senior co-captain Emily Bary and sophomore Patricia Chau were the first winners for Millburn, defeating Shelly Manning and Alexa Sarastano 6-2, 6-1 at first doubles. Jenna Berkencamp and Lauren Cohen were the next winners for the Millers, knocking off Alice Chen and Daria Donato 6-2, 6-0 at second doubles. Neither of Millburn's new-look doubles …

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