Kira Gregor
Kira Gregor, Cony freshman: Gregor went 11-1 while playing No. 1 singles in team competition, losing only to Gardiner’s Haylie Peacock. Seeded ninth in the state singles tournament, Gregor advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to eventual champion Sofia Mavor.
Sofia Kirtchev
Sofia Kirtchev, Falmouth sophomore: As the fourth seed in the state singles tournament, Kirtchev reached the semifinals for the second year in a row. A late-season illness caused her to miss much of the team playoffs before she pulled out a dramatic 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 victory over Brunswick’s Coco Meserve to lift the Navigators to the Class A state title.
Vittoria de Lisio
Vittoria de Lisio, Thornton Academy senior: A boarding student from Italy, de Lisio reached the quarterfinals of the state singles tournament as the seventh seed before losing 6-1, 7-5 to Coco Meserve, the defending champion. She went 8-2 in SMAA action as Thornton (11-3) reached the regional semis before falling to eventual Class A champion Falmouth.
Sofia Mavor
Sofia Mavor, Yarmouth senior: After a two-year hiatus from high school competition, Mavor returned and won her second state singles title in dominant fashion, dropping only three games in her final three matches. She also led the Clippers to a 12-4 record and an appearance in the Class B final. She plans to continue playing tennis at the Air Force Academy.
Coco Meserve
Coco Meserve, Brunswick senior: Meserve returned to the final of the state singles tournament for a third year. After winning in three sets as a junior, she fell in straight sets to Sofia Mavor. Meserve also led the Dragons to a 15-1 season and a fourth straight appearance in the Class A state final. She will attend the University of Virginia on a prestigious Jefferson Scholarship.
Becca Naftoly
Becca Naftoly, Berwick Academy senior: A native of Newburyport, Massachusetts, Naftoly reached the semifinals of the state singles tournament as the sixth seed before falling 6-1, 7-5 to defending champion Coco Meserve. As a junior, Naftoly, was a singles quarterfinalist. She plans to enroll at the University of Delaware.
Haylie Peacock
Haylie Peacock, Gardiner senior: A two-time KVAC Player of the Year, Peacock went undefeated in team play during the regular season for a second straight year. Her only loss in team competition came in the playoffs against Yarmouth’s Sofia Mavor. Peacock plans to continue her tennis career at Rhode Island College in Providence.
Ava Vardaros
Ava Vardaros, Maine Central Institute junior: Seeded fifth in the state singles tournament, Vardaros advanced to the quarterfinals before falling 6-4, 6-1 to Sofia Kirtchev of Falmouth. In team competition, Vardaros went 9-2 as MCI reached the Class C South quarterfinals before losing to Boothbay.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Michelle Lovley, Fort Kent
In her second year as head coach, Lovley presided over an unforgettable season that culminated in a Class C championship – the first in program history. Fort Kent (12-2) last appeared in the state finals in 1991, losing in Class B to Cape Elizabeth. This spring, with a starting lineup made up entirely of seniors, Fort Kent lost only to Class B state champion Caribou. Seeded fourth in Class C North, Fort Kent blanked No. 5 Van Buren, No. 1 George Stevens and No. 3 Piscatiquis, then faced Waynflete in the state final. After falling behind 2-0, Fort Kent rallied to win tiebreakers in two matches and pulled off a 3-2 victory. “Down two, that didn’t really alarm me, because I knew they weren’t going to give up,” Lovley said. “I couldn’t be more proud of their mental toughness.”
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