With a 16-0 record, two consecutive Section 1 team titles, three singles players and three doubles teams in the Section 1 quarter-finals, Scarsdale Girls Tennis are the most dominant force in the region. You have once again proved something. Now, the team, along with the doubles of senior Maya Kukiaman and freshman Emma Ha, will test themselves against the best that New York State has to offer.
No. 2-seeded Scarsdale used all 15 players on their coach Jennifer Roan’s extensive roster to beat No. 7 Horace Greeley, No. 6 Nyack and No. 1 Harrison to four. Beat 0. Division I tournament.
“We have a very talented team this year,” Roan said. “We are very deep across the board in singles and doubles. Harrison brought it. I don’t know, but we’ve been down this road before, so there was a lot of pressure on ourselves.
“Being the reigning champion and holding that title in a very strong section was tough. I told the girls they had to play and communicate one point at a time. We have the skill, so we had to bring the mental part of the game into today’s match.”
The Raiders have strong team dynamics and will do whatever they can to lift each other up.
“Every game our captains bring us together. “I think it’s more of a mentality than anything else. Harrison is also a very accomplished team. Who wants more and who can stay in the points?” Or even if you lose a few points, the game isn’t over. I have a really strong mentality.”
The Raiders have a 2-2 winning percentage in section tournaments and are defending state champions.
“We tried to build a very strong front last year, so I think we knew to keep our cool, but we were certainly a little scared,” said junior Jelena Sahakyan. “This year we kept our strength, we were more prepared, we weren’t scared at all. We were very prepared this year.”
The Raiders are a tight-knit unit on and off the court, and it has proven.
“Our freshmen and recruits really feel the vibe of our group,” said Junior Natasha Pereira. The captain has played a big role in that.It’s made the team bond.Everyone works as a unit.One of the things the captain emphasized this year is to stay humble.We won last year. I know, but it’s important to realize that we’re playing against other good teams and try our best there.”
The Raiders headed to Binghamton to play their first state team game on Thursday 20 October, with the quarterfinals in Goshen on Sunday 22 October.
“It’s pretty amazing, I must say,” Roane said. knew every game we played, other teams wanted Scarsdale to mess up and they were just teenagers. I’m really happy that we were able to keep our character on the court.”
The Raiders hope to return to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for the semifinals and finals. “They deserved it and they got it.
singles and doubles
Scarsdale fielded three singles players and three doubles teams in the sectionals, all advancing to the quarterfinals in at least three rounds. Roane has coached Scarsdale for over 20 years, and even the dominant team in the past has never done anything like that.
“It’s a record that so many kids have ever made it,” Roan said. Even Patrick McEnroe was looking at the drawsheets and he looked at me and asked, ‘What’s in the Scarsdale water?
The bad news for Scarsdale is that four men failed to qualify for statehood in Section 1 this year and only one doubles team made it through. Cukierman and Ha defeated teammate Kay Cottrell and her sophomore and her Campbell Alin 6-3 and 7-5 respectively in her third-place play-off to advance to the states. Cottrell and Allin knocked out junior teammates Vora and Sahakyan 6-2, 6-3 in the quarterfinals.
For the second year in a row, Allin won away from the states, finishing fourth last year with then-senior Laura Mendes.
Cukierman and Ha played doubles together for the first time all season. “It’s great to be able to play at such a high level and go to the states in our first year together when we only have six or seven weeks,” Roane said.
Despite the age gap, the two gelled well. “If Emma missed a few shots, Maya would go and give her a little pep talk and not get mad at her,” Rohan said. I went up to her and she was kind of looking at the universe and I told her to use her nervous energy to excite, not paralyze. He looked at me and said ‘Okay’.”
Cottrell and Alin were a new pairing that only played together for two weeks. Roane was hesitant to make the switch late in the season but saw it pay off. “Look how far they’ve come in two competitions,” she said. “Campbell and Kay communicate really well on the court after just two weeks together. The conversations and movements on the court and the conversations after the points were very good.”
It’s always hard for Roane to watch players knock each other out in the postseason, but she’s seen it for decades.
“When Maya and Elena go up against Campbell and Kay, I’m not on the court and I’m not coaching them,” Rohan said. “I just tell them to go out there and have fun playing the best tennis you can. And now Maya and Elena have been partners for three years and know very well where they are on the court.”
Roane appreciated the sportsmanship her team displayed. This was especially the case in matches played against each other regarding line her calls, unnecessary noise and respect.
“Even the parents were very respectful and didn’t cheer when they made a mistake,” Rohan said. It is also proof.”
In singles, senior captain Natalie Hu once again left the state to win. Last year, she made it to the quarterfinals, and if she won, she would have advanced to the states, as four of her players had qualified last year. This year she made it to the semi-finals but lost to Eastchester’s Anselma Petrie in a close 6-4 7-5 loss.
“She was very focused, planned and attended,” Rohan said. “I’m tutoring her, but I’ve found that she wants to do it on her own. She took my advice, but she’s got a notebook and she’s got something in her notebook.” I didn’t ask what was in the notebook, but it was a quote or a reminder when she was on the court, that kind of thing, and she’s really focused on being on the state team this year. I did.”
Sophomore Giana Marks won her first two games 6-0 6-0 and won the Round of 16 6-0 6-3. She lost to Hu 6-0, 6-2 in the quarterfinals. Marks plans to participate over the next two years.
“She knows how to keep points,” Roan said. “If it’s a long point, she’s not rushing for points. When I give her a word of advice when she’s down a game or two, she says, ‘I’ll take care of it. knows what to do I’m running around to other courts but come back and she’s up a game or two she’s really focused and for a 10th grade that’s good is.”
Freshman Katie Kendall was also notable, battling to win 3-6, 7-6(6), 10-8 against the 8th seed in Round 16.
“She was great,” Roan said. “Somers Jr. was hitting the ball hard, lost the first set and Katie slowly came back in the second. I was shocked. I wasn’t sure if she could pull it off. , she chipped off point by point and won the second set.Now Junior was a little nervous.Then Katy won the tiebreaker.For a freshman, it was just outstanding. Katie never gave up.”
In the quarterfinals, Kendall faced Bronxville’s No. 1 seed Victoria McEnroe. After she was thrilled to take her 1 her game away from McEnroe in the first set, Kendall nearly caused a major upset, including pushing McEnroe away in the second set to finish with a score of 7-5. rice field.
“In the second set, she was under pressure, but the McEnroe girl was quiet throughout the match,” Roan said. “In the second set, when Katie realized she was pinching her heels, she started grunting, went to the fence, and took some time between points to break her rhythm.” We lost 7-5, but everyone was saying, ‘Look what this freshman did to the number one seeded player’. you were on the edge of your seat. It was really exciting. ”
