Photo: Belmont High’s first year Isha Appadewedula
While Belmont High Head Girls’ Tennis Coach Eileen White said she and her team were eager for spring’s arrival as they were getting ready to make another run in the MIAA tournament.
What White – in her 21st year leading the Marauders – and the team had also hoped for was for some early spring-like weather to prep for the season.
“It doesn’t help when it’s in the 40s and windy for the first month,” said White, who led Belmont to an 11-8 record in 2025 and a first-round home match in the Division 1 tourney.
“I think that’s been a little bit of a transition from training indoors to be like, ‘Oh my, there’s wind, there’s sun, there’s noise’ and things like that. I think everybody, even the girls who have played in the past season and you’ve played inside all winter, it’s an adjustment.”
Despite playing through a frigid early spring weather and enduring twisted ankles that threw the projected lineups over the side, Belmont has compiled a 5-2 record, winning its first three matches by identical 4-1 margins while dropping what White “annoyingly tight” 2-3 encounter to Arlington in blustery, cold conditions.
And just warmer temperatures have arrived, so Belmont will playing three undefeated teams in Westford (4-0), Lexington (5-0), and Winchester (5-0). [Belmont were swept by non-league opponent Westford Ghosts, 5-0, on Monday.]
Heading one of the most cosmopolitan teams at Belmont High – the players speak 13 languages and come from a diverse array of cultures and countries – White has every expectation the team will be playing extra matches after the end of the regular season.
“We’re competing as always. We expect to be hopefully in the state tournament and we expect to be challenging for the Middlesex League,” she said. And that confidence starts with the
“I’m confident our singles, we’ve got great singles,” she said.
The three singles that took the court against Wakefield were two first years and a senior who established themselves as starters. First-year Isha Appadewedula has taken hold of first singles.
“Isha has been amazing, winning all her matches so far this year,” said White. Whether Appadewedula stays at one or moves to two depending on how she does in the Challenge Matches, “she’s a great addition no matter what,” said White.
Senior Giselle Fond did not play her usual second singles place after rolling her ankle in a early season practice. She finally returned to the court in first doubles with the only returning varsity doubles player, senior Avery Cal. “This might be a nice way for Fond to ease in playing a little doubles. Don’t have to run around so much in doubles,” said White.
Malina Lorentan is Belmont’s second first year to crack into the varsity squad.
“I gave her a chance [on singles] and she’s jumped all over it,” White said of the native of Switzerland, After losing a tight one against the SpyPonders, Lorentan impressived White with her ability to step up against Wakefield.
While having established a solid three in singles, White said she’s “still struggling a little bit to find the right combination” to send out for doubles. “We were spoiled in the past few seasons. We had really good doubles players. Last year we just got so many points from them,” said White.
“We lost three out of the four players of our starting doubles so that’s where we’re trying to recalibrate a little bit,” said White.
Senior Cal, who had the same partner for the previous two seasons, has been in the process of feeling out a new partner “so that’s been like the experiment.” Against Wakefield, White teamed her up with fellow senior Fond while Grace Harrington and Eve Whitmer were in at second doubles.
While it will be challenging to repeat as a top 16 team in the power rankings, White said “we’re excited just to get a few good practices in and a few games here and there to get a solid squad out there in each match.”
