Although Marlborough and Harvard-Westlake tennis teams have a long-running rivalry, Marlborough Varsity Tennis Coach Micheal Scovotti plans to secure a win in the 2024 season. 

Scovotti has been Marlborough’s Varsity Tennis coach for two years now and has been working to re-establish trust within the team, as it has been lacking due multiple changes with coaching in the previous years. The root of the rivalry comes from both Marlborough and Harvard-Westlake tennis teams having top spots in the Mission League standings  – the ultimate competition in high school tennis. Despite Marlborough’s impressive record, Harvard-Westlake still remains a formidable matchup with Marlborough, having only two losses against them in the 2023 season. 

Harvard-Westlake’s recruitment process makes the school especially difficult to play against, but ultimately fuels Marlborough’s motivation to seal a win. “We go in [to every match] knowing that we are probably the underdog and are going to have to battle as hard as we possibly can,” Scovotti said.

Strategic adjustments and tough decisions have been essential throughout this season in order to increase Marlborough’s chances at beating Harvard-Westlake. “I trust the girls to give me their insight and they trust me to put out the best possible lineup to give us a chance to win,” Scovotti said. 

He plans to make changes with players when it comes to the singles and doubles lineup. 

The competitive edge of playing Harvard-Westlake motivates Marlborough tennis players to play at their best. “We know we need to get this win, and they probably think they ‘should’ get this win,” Scovotti said. 

Before every match, Scovotti ensures that the team is focused, while remaining loose at the same time. To fuel their competition, the Marlborough team does not refer to Harvard-Westlake by name, but rather describes them as: “That team up north,” – a nod to the Michigan-Ohio State college football rivalry. 

During the season, Scovotti and the rest of the Marlborough team will continue to work their hardest to officially secure their win against Harvard-Westlake. “Knowing that [Harvard-Westlake] goes in pretty confident against us really hurts, yet motivates us,” says Scovotti, “and is going to make that victory so much sweeter.”