Girls tennis: Highlights from the state tournament and final month of the season

Stephanie Yakoff entered rarified air when she captured the NJSIAA singles championship on Oct. 22.

Soon, she’ll be entering a major tournament with her opponent from the state final.

The Fort Lee senior became the third girls tennis player to cap her career with three or more state singles crowns. Danielle Klurman of J.P. Stevens (Edison) was the first to do so, winning in 1983, 1984 and 1986.

“It may have been a ‘4-peat’, if it hadn't been for COVID and the cancellation of the tournament in 2020,” Fort Lee coach Phil Zappel pointed out.

Keiko Tokuda is still the only four-time NJSIAA singles champ (1994-97), but Yakoff went unbeaten in her varsity career just like her counterpart from Clifton.

The only two players to take a set from Yakoff in four years: Naomi Karki of East Brunswick in the 2021 state semifinals, and Erin Ha of Holy Angels.

Ha, a senior who lives in Tenafly, lost head-to-head in last year's state final and stretched the rematch to three sets.

“It’s always a battle when we play each other,” said Yakoff, who noted the two have trained together for more than a year. “We were texting literally a day after the match, too. We’re playing a doubles tournament together in November [USTA Indoor Nationals in Indiana], so, I’m looking forward to that.”

This year marked the third time since the NJSIAA singles tournament began in 1973 that the same two players met in consecutive finals. Tokuda topped Maren Haus of Manasquan in her junior and senior years, and Lisa Rosamilia of Watchung Hills swept Holy Spirit’s Laura Mossbrook in 1981-82.

Yakoff’s 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 triumph in this year’s finale likely won’t be the last time the Harvard-bound star opposes Ha in a competitive match, either.

“Erin’s going to Yale,” Yakoff said, “so we’ll be playing each other a lot, for sure.”

Doubles upset of the season

Ramapo juniors Elizabeth Ring and Caroline Baker advanced further than any North Jersey duo in the NJSIAA doubles tournament, upsetting the No. 2 seed to reach the semifinals.

Ring and Baker, seeded 5-8 alphabetically, eliminated Montgomery's Angela Qian and Lana Eichenbaum in the state quarterfinals, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, to earn a spot in the semis against the No. 3 Marlboro tandem of Kayla and Klarissa Salfarlie.

The Salfarlie sisters held off the Bergen County Groups 3-4 first-doubles champs, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3.

Ramapo remains the only North Jersey school to send an entrant to the state doubles finals, which Jaimie Berger and Erin Nerlino accomplished in 2006.

Demarest’s repeat champions

The longest active streak of sectional team titles belongs to Demarest, which captured its fifth straight (including the 2020 “regional championship” format).

The Norsewomen swept sister school Old Tappan in the North 1, Group 2 final, 5-0 on Oct. 18, on their way to reaching the state finals. There, Yahli Noy and Priyanka Khubani each won third-set super tiebreakers, but Holmdel – a 14-time sectional champ – won the other three positions to secure the Group 2 title.

Noy, a senior, advanced to the Round of 16 in the NJSIAA singles tournament, while Khubani finished her junior season as the Bergen Groups 3-4 second-singles champ.

Other sectional highlights

Glen Rock and Kinnelon met in the North 1, Group 1 final for the fourth time in six seasons. The three most recent clashes were decided by 3-2 scores, with the Panthers prevailing in 2019 and this year. Glen Rock swept both doubles flights, as senior Jamie Luo and junior Lily Serebrenik won a first-set tiebreaker at first doubles, 7-6 (7-4), to get things going.

Tenafly secured its North 1, Group 3 championship over Ramapo with a marathon match at second doubles. Sophomore Kailyn Cho and freshman Samantha Cho rebounded from a 6-4 loss in the first set to post a pair of 6-3 wins and tip the scales in the Tigers’ favor, 3-2.

Bergen Tech celebrated a “Sweet 16” with its 4-1 win against Ridgewood in the North 1, Group 4 final. Junior Victoria Gazda and seniors Amanda Galante and Emma Lau scored singles victories to fuel the Knights’ first sectional title since 2016, which upped their record to 16-0. In the Group 4 semifinals, Westfield needed a 10-8, third-set win at No. 3 singles to fend off the Bergen squad, 3-2.

Division champions

Includes division record (overall record in parentheses).

Big North American: Fort Lee 6-0 (9-7)

Big North Freedom: Ramapo 8-0 (17-2)

Big North Independence: Wayne Hills 10-0 (14-4)

Big North Liberty: Bergen Tech 8-0 (16-1)

Big North National: Demarest 10-0 (18-2)

Big North Patriot: Pascack Hills 10-0 (13-4)

Big North United: Holy Angels 6-0 (14-3)

NJIC Colonial: Glen Rock 10-0 (16-2)

NJIC Liberty: Dwight-Englewood 10-0 (14-3)

NJIC Meadowlands: Secaucus 9-0* (15-3)

NJIC Patriot: Saddle River Day 9-1 (13-2)

*Make-up match with Weehawken scheduled for Nov. 1

County champions

Passaic: Wayne Hills, 16-15 over Passaic Tech (13-5-1)

Bergen Groups 3-4: Ramapo, 15-12 over Ridgewood (13-5)

Bergen Groups 1-2: Holy Angels over Pascack Hills

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ girls tennis: Highlights from state tournament, final month