Only one team has been able to beat the Amherst Regional girls tennis team all season, as the Hurricanes have ripped through their fellow western Massachusetts opponents and their first two state tournament foes en route to an MIAA Division 2 state quarterfinal appearance.

The No. 5 ‘Canes will enter Sunday’s Round of 8 against No. 4 Hingham with a 14-3 record, all three losses coming to perennial powerhouse Longmeadow (No. 1 in D2), including one in the Western Mass. Class A finals. To get to the state quarterfinals, Amherst knocked off No. 28 Westfield handily, winning 5-0, and defeated No. 12 Sharon 4-1 on Monday – both contests coming on its home courts at Amherst Middle School.

On Sunday, however, the Hurricanes will hit the road for the first time this tournament as they head to Hingham with a spot in the Final Four on the line. Amherst was 5-1 in away matches during the regular season.

Typically when teams make a deep run into the postseason, the majority of the squad is made up of seniors and veterans with a ton of postseason experience. But that’s not the case with this Hurricane group. None of Amherst’s three singles starters are seniors, and of its whopping 33 athletes on the roster, only six are graduating in 2025.

Seventh grader Katie Gromacki is head coach Claire Cocco’s first singles player, and has been all season long. Gromacki has put together an impressive first season at the varsity level – highlighted by a runner-up finish in the individual Western Mass. tournament – and she hasn’t lost during a team match since April 4. Amherst is going to need Gromacki to continue her stellar play to get past Hingham on Sunday.

Elsewhere, junior Emma Learned-Miller and sophomore Mahima Ganesan have looked equally as terrific this year. Playing in the second and third singles spots, respectively, Learned-Miller and Ganesan are as steady as they come for Cocco and the ‘Canes.

The veteran leadership comes at doubles play for Amherst, where seniors Daniella Sherman and Aliya Osman hold down first doubles while senior Elena Ruiz and junior Janaki Ewoton check in at second doubles. Both groups shifted around at the beginning of the season as Cocco attempted to find the best combination of pairs, but since the end of April it’s been Sherman/Osman and Ruiz/Ewoton – and they’re clicking at the right time.

Amherst has won close matches, won 5-0 matches and lost 3-2 matches throughout the year. The Hurricanes have essentially experienced every situation imaginable, so they’re more than ready for anything Hingham throws their way on Sunday. The match is slated for 11 a.m., with the winner punching a ticket to the Final Four.

The winner will play No. 1 Longmeadow, which beat No. 8 Milton in its quarterfinal matchup.