Isabella Mastropietro, a key player on the Woodland Girls Tennis Team, was named All NVL alongside Rylie Montini following their doubles performance on the first day of the NVL Individuals Tournament. After their match outcomes on the first day of the tournament, Mastropietro’s team advanced to the second day of NVL individuals. Mastropietro and Montini ended up taking third place overall in the individual tournament.
For Mastropietro, receiving All NVL was a great accomplishment, especially coming off of a serious injury she had received during her basketball season. Her injury had put her out for the remainder of the season and left her questioning whether or not she would be cleared to play tennis in the spring; luckily, she was able to recover on time to fill a spot on the team’s number one doubles team.
Mastropietro had previously played singles, but this season she made the switch. She felt it was the best choice in order to accommodate her recovery. At first, she had no partner to play doubles, but Montini had recently lost her doubles partner (a 2022 graduate), so they tried playing together. At practice, they had instant chemistry. Their coach realized the damage the duo could do and put them together on a doubles team. It was a decision that was found to be in the best interest of not only Mastropietro and Montini but also the entire team.
“I think Rylie and I even each other out. Some of her weaker spots are my stronger spots, and some of her stronger spots are my weaker spots, which has helped us both grow in our tennis game,” Mastropietro said.
Mastropietro credits her team and coach for such a successful season. She believes that they pushed her to strive for constant improvement and work harder all season. She recalls the continuous support from her teammates and coach, even when she had lost a match.
She attributes much of her achievement to Coach Jessica Degennaro.
“When we entered the tournament to play for All NVL, we were prepared to play teams that would be better and stronger than us,” Mastropietro said.
She believes that the training the team had for the season was beneficial and gave them the opportunity to improve their game. It allowed them to overcome even their biggest opponents.
Mastropietro said that the matches were “never easy.” She claimed to have always been presented with a challenge, no matter the team.
“I think that it’s a strong league to play in and you never really see a weak team,” Mastropietro said.
She recalls that every single one of her matches was a fight to win. The competitiveness of the league made it even more of an achievement to have been named All NVL and to have performed so well in the doubles tournament.
Mastropietro’s success this tennis season demonstrates how it is possible to come back even stronger from an injury. She did not let adversity discourage her, but she used it as her motivation. Her dedication, perseverance, and determination led her to receiving a very honorable title in the Naugatuck Valley League. After having such a successful season, tennis fans are surely looking forward to watching what Mastropietro does in the following season and what more she can accomplish.
