EAST PROVIDENCE — The stakes changed, but the results didn't for the East Providence High School girls' tennis team as the Townies rolled past Toll Gate in the quarterfinal round of the 2023 Division III championship tournament at Friday afternoon, Oct. 27.

Top-seeded and undefeated EPHS won its playoff opener by shutting out the visiting and eighth-seeded Titans 4-0.

Per Rhode Island Interscholastic League rules for playoff tennis, once a team wins four of the seven matches played the overall contest ends.

East Providence improved to 16-0 for the fall and will host Cranston East in the semifinals likely on Wednesday, Nov. 1. The fourth-seeded Thunderbolts defeated fifth-seeded Exeter-West Greenwich 4-2 in their quarter. The Townies beat East 6-1 in their only regular season meeting back on October 6.

"Cranston East has had a good season all year. We've played them a few times, been in a few battles with them in the past. So we kind of know what to expect from them," EPHS Slade Sharma said of the Thunderbolts, referencing the Townies' 4-2 over Cranston East in last year's playoff quarterfinals.

"We're going to be ready for whoever is in front of us. We're just going to take care of business and get ready for our match," Sharma added.

Toll Gate's season came to a close with a 7-10 overall record in league matches. The Titans, who lost to the Townies 6-1 during the regular season, defeated Bay View 4-1 in a preliminary round playoff match earlier last week.

"It's about what we expected. We knew we had success against them the first time around. So we just stayed focused," Sharma said of Toll Gate. "And we knew their seniors would play like it could be  their last match of their careers and they did. They gave us a little more bite than they did the first time around. But our kids stayed focused and got the job done."

For the Townies Friday fittingly on Senior Day it was one of their soon-to-be grads who earned the decisive point, newcomer Megha Tenneti. The transfer from Barrington defeated Toll Gate's Adrianna Giovanelli at third singles by the scores of 6-1, 6-3 to account for EP's fourth win.

"Knowing that I made the deciding point is kind of symbolic to my like place on this team. This is going to be a forever team. I mean East Providence tennis goes strong. Townie Pride goes strong," Tenneti said of earning the winning point in the quarters.

She added of her experience to date on the tennis team, "East Providence is such a family. Even though I've only been here one year, I feel like everyone treated me like a member of the family. And it was so much different than my previous experience."

Another of the Townie seniors, Caroline Haggerty, was first off the court with a victory for the locals, dispatching Toll Gate's Maia Costa 6-1, 6-2.

"I feel like, honestly, because it was Senior Day I was just so happy, so filled with love and joy for my team because of how much effort they put in to make this day so special for me and the other seniors. I was just like, yeah, I have to lock in and get it done. My team did a lot for me and I wanted to do something for them," Haggerty said.

Soon after, both of East Providence's top doubles teams — Isabella Hurley-Madison Luu and Tianna Brierly-Maggie Robinson — finished their matches in quick succession.

At No. 1, senior Hurley and freshman Luu were 3-and-2 winners over the Titans' Kassidy Roche and Caroline Polo. Brierly, also a senior, and Robinson, a junior, won their outing over Toll Gate's Haylee Maraudol and Sophie Mera 0-and-1.

Just as Tenneti was finishing out her match, classmate Lena Shanty and sophomore Hope Moran were also closing in on singles victories.

Shanty, yet another Class of '24 Townie, was up in her meeting with Toll Gate's Sam Statier 6-4 and 5-1 at No. 2 singles. At No. 1, Moran was on the verge of avenging her regular season loss to the Titans' Emme Hindle, leading 6-3, 5-3 when played ended.

The last match on court, at three doubles, had East Providence's Rylee Thurber and Ava Domingues winning the first game of their outing against Ella Mehta and Grace Marchand.