Scarlet Hawks playing with more confidence this spring

By Chris Villani

Milford High girls’ tennis head coach Julie Rabinowitz came into the 2025 season optimistic after returning her entire lineup from the season before. Her confidence in her team has been mirrored by her team, as the Scarlet Hawks have increased their swagger, and win total, in 2025.

“We have been much more competitive with some of our opponents this season, compared to previous seasons, it’s a step in the right direction,” Rabinowitz said. “Having everyone playing where they were last season, this is a much more confident team.”

The results have shown through on the court. Senior captain Mallory Brickley has been one of the team’s top players out of the number two singles spot, winning four of her first five matches on the season. Fellow senior captain Audrey Brannigan also picked up an early win, and her coach praised her for the progress she was able to make since last year.

Milford’s increased success is also due to the effort the players made before the year even began.

“They did a lot of work in the offseason,” Rabinowitz said. “They did some playing at local clubs indoors, so they put in a lot of time and effort to get ready for the season as well.”

Senior captain Ava Merrill is in the top singles spot for Milford and, match-in and match-out, has given some of the best players in the area a run for their money.

At first doubles, MHS has featured juniors Chloe Murdock and Sam DeNegris, who played doubles together last spring.

“They are also best friends, which helps,” Rabinowitz said. “They know how to work well together and communicate and they are able to figure things out during every match.”

Rabinowitz has three players — seniors Lillian Bogonis and Riley Donovan and sophomore Catie Delaney — who rotate into the second doubles spot.

“They have great attitudes,” the coach said, “and they work well together.”

The Scarlet Hawks are looking to increase their win total from a season ago, but success to Rabinowitz is also about being competitive in every single match. Against King Philip at the start of the year, Milford lost 3-2 against a team that had earned a 5-0 sweep last spring. Results like that, even though they aren’t wins, represent just another lift to an improving program.

“After every single one of these matches, I show them the last time we played that team compared to now and how many individual gains we have made,” Rabinowitz said. “It gives them really good confidence, and they know the work that they put in, it really helps.”