Girls tennis: Scarsdale, Byram Hills remain unbeaten, repeat as Section 1 team champions
Winning the Section 1 girls tennis team tournament was an exciting treat for Scarsdale and Byram Hills last season.
The only thing better? Doing it again this year.
The Raiders and Bobcats repeated as Section 1 girls tennis team tournament title-winners, and they hope that their seasons will end just as they did last time, as state champions.
They'll begin their state title defenses in regional play. The first stop are the team sub-regionals which are scheduled for Oct. 20-21 at a Section 4 site, followed by the state regional final on Oct. 22 at a Section 9 site.
The NYSPHSAA girls tennis team championships are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 4 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens.
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Last year: Scarsdale, Byram Hills to compete at inaugural NYSPHSAA team tournament
Scarsdale stays unbeaten, repeats as champion
There was plenty of chatter about expectations and pressure, but through it all, Scarsdale's motivation was simple. The championship hardware is nice, but it was more so about spending more time with one another.
"This season's my favorite part of the year and being a senior, it's kind of the end of an era, but I didn't want to end it yet," Scarsdale's Natalie Hu said. "It made us want it that much more. It is more pressure because each match can be your last, which makes you emotional, but also more motivated."
The Raiders aren't done just yet, as they remained unbeaten with a successful Section 1 Division I title defense. They defeated Harrison, 4-0, in the finals.
"It's an amazing feeling getting to accomplish such a cool thing as a team," Scarsdale senior Maya Cukierman said. "This wasn't something that existed before, so to get to do it as a team and as a group, it just makes it better because you have so many people to share it with."
Scarsdale needed to win four out of seven matches to clinch the title. While they were leading in several other matches, they were able to complete the first four to seal the victory. Hu defeated Hannah Rose, and Katie Kendall defeated Stella Johanssen.
In doubles play, Cukierman and teammate Emma Ha defeated Ines Xhayet and Barbara Jo Coppola. Campbell Alin and Kay Cottrell defeated the Harrison tandem of Sophia Badurina and Ruby Leibowitz to conclude the night.
"We want to be confident and not cocky, because these teams are just as hungry for the title," Alin said. "We're just going to keep pushing, one match at a time. Get one win at a time, and hopefully, get the state title again."
...and Byram Hills does the same
The Bobcats may have been the second-seed entering the team tournament, but they left little doubt in their climb back to the top.
They remain undefeated, as they bested Rye Neck, 3-0, in Tuesday's Section 1 Division II finals.
"A lot of people forget that tennis is a team sport," Byram Hills senior Chloe Bernstein said. "Obviously, when you're on the court, you're playing alone and you're doing the best you can, and you're in the zone. But, when you're on the Byram Hills tennis team, you're a part of that team and that's the most important thing. It was very rewarding, getting that Section 1 (doubles) title last week, but this means so much in a different way."
The Bobcats won the three out of five matches needed to clinch the title in singles play. Bernstein defeated Olivia Tobin, while Jenna Kleynerman defeated Dylan White, and Lily Anchin topped things off with a win over Lucie Palmer. The two doubles matches were unfinished, since the singles matches were completed first.
It's another title for Byram Hills, who witnessed Bernstein and Kleynerman win the Section 1 doubles tournament. This time, the rest of the team gets to bask in the championship glory as well.
"It's great, I feel like we were definitely prepared and we knew what we were going into," Kleynerman said. "It feels great to do it again. We have an undefeated season, and I hope it continues."
For Rye Neck, it enjoyed an exciting run to the finals as the fifth-seed. Although they fell short, the Panthers hold their heads high and with plenty to take away from the experience.
"This season was one of our best, and I've been on the team for five years now," Rye Neck senior Olivia Tobin said. "Besides the outcome, our team has been the most connected this year out of all the ones I've been on the team. We only lost three matches out of 15, which is pretty good, especially with the team tournament, I think we did pretty well."
"This is something that you really shouldn't take for granted. I remember being in eighth grade on the team and thinking, 'it's alright, I have four more years left.' It's really so much more than that, and people don't see how impactful it is until you're done with it. This is something that really shaped my character a lot."
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Girls tennis: Scarsdale, Byram Hills repeat as Section 1 team champs
