Tennis: Top-ranked Koalas finish regular season undefeated
1. Ursuline (9-0) – The Koalas stay atop the rankings for the fourth consecutive week as they finish the regular season with an undefeated record after beating New Rochelle this past week. Ursuline won the Conference 1 League B title and will play in the team championship starting on 10/24. The second doubles team of junior Emma Gordon and sophomore Mary B. McLoughlin have been dominate this year, finishing the season with a perfect record in nine matches. Attention now turns to the conference and sectional tournaments in which all eyes will be on Laina Campos and Vanessa Ciano in their quest for a state title. Previous ranking: 1
2. Harrison (11-0) – The Huskies defeated Pelham this week to finish the regular season undefeated. Harrison has now won 23 consecutive matches dating back to last year, and they have won the Conference 2 League C title for the third straight season. They will next play in the team championship starting on 10/24. The third doubles team of senior Jess Hart and sophomore Juliana Sica has been a bright spot for the Huskies all season as they have consistently contributed to the team’s success. Previous ranking: 2
3. Bronxville (10-1) – The Broncos finished the regular season with back-to-back wins over Keio this past week. Those wins clinched Bronxville’s third straight Conference 3 League B title. They will next play in the team championship starting on 10/24. The strong play at third singles and second doubles has been a large part of the Broncos continued success this season. Sophomore Lindsey Cruikshank finished the year with a 9-2 record and has established herself as one of the top third singles players in the section. The second doubles team of senior Olivia Jensen and sophomore Sarah Goodell has also been impressive, having only dropped two matches all season. They will look to continue their winning ways at this weekend’s conference tournament. Previous ranking: 3
4. Edgemont (10-1) – The Panthers defeated Hastings and Blind Brook this past week to clinch a share of the Conference 3 League B title. Edgemont will next play in the team championship starting on 10/24. The Panthers continue to benefit from the strong play of their singles players. Second singles player Shruti Kanna has now won 8 consecutive matches only to be slightly outdone by third singles player Iris Lin who has won 9 straight. Both players hope to continue their hot streaks at this weekend’s conference tournament. Previous ranking: 4
5. Mamaroneck (10-2) – The Tigers finished the regular season with convincing wins over eighth-ranked Scarsdale and ninth-ranked Horace Greeley. The win over Scarsdale secured Mamaroneck a second place finish in Conference 1 League B behind top-ranked Ursuline, who is the only team to defeat Mamaroneck this year. Attention now turns to the conference and sectional tournaments where sophomores Alison Zerbib and Katherine Orgielewicz will look to repeat their success from last year and reach states for the second year in a row. Previous ranking: 5
6. Rye (9-2) – The Garnets finished the regular season on a roll with wins over seventh-ranked Byram Hills, ninth-ranked Fox Lane and Nyack. Just like the first time they played, the rematch with Byram Hills was a tightly contested affair that came down to fourth doubles. The pair of junior Ainsley Schulz and senior Olivia Giroux clinched the victory for Rye in straight sets. The win earned the Garnets a second place finish in Conference 2 League C behind second-ranked Harrison, who is the only team to defeat Rye this season. The Garnets will next play in the team championship on 10/24. Previous ranking: 6
7. Byram Hills (7-5) – The Bobcats finished the regular season with two wins over Ardsley and a close loss to Rye. All five of their losses this year have been to ranked teams (2 to Harrison, 2 to Rye and 1 to Fox Lane). Their four league losses were by scores of 4-3 and came down to third set super-tiebreakers. They may have finished in third place in Conference 2 League C, but Byram Hills was just a few points away from the title. Doubles players Olivia Tantleff and Jamie Begleiter have been bright spots this season in what has been a deep doubles contingent. Both have had success at first and second doubles. Previous ranking: 7
8. Scarsdale (6-7) – The Raiders finished the regular season with a loss to fifth-ranked Mamaroneck. Their record is not indicative of Scarsdale’s ability. All of their losses have come to teams ranked in the top 5, and they were able to clinch a third place finish in Conference 1 League B. The first doubles pair of 9th graders Maggie Akuetey and Luisa Mendes may be the most improved players of the year. After starting the season off with a 2-3 record, Akuetey and Mendes have rattled off 8 straight wins against some of the stiffest competition in the section. They will be a team to watch in this weekend’s conference tournament. Previous ranking: 8
T-9. Horace Greeley (8-3), Yorktown (8-3), Fox Lane (6-3) – The regular season may be over but the Conference 1 League A title is still up for grabs. Greeley defeated Fox Lane two weeks ago by a close 4-3 margin. Fox Lane is currently leading Yorktown by a score of 3-2 in a match from three weeks ago that still has not been completed. Last week, Yorktown was up on Greeley 3-1 in another match that was called for darkness. Until these matches are completed, it is difficult to predict who will be crowned league champion. They may all end up sharing the title at the end of the day. Previous ranking: 9, 10, 10
10. Briarcliff (13-0) – The Bears finished the season undefeated with a win over Dobbs Ferry this past week. Just like all of their previous 12 victories, Briarcliff won by a score of 5-0. Singles players Rebecca Lim and Loren Haukova finished the year unbeaten and will enter this weekend’s conference singles tournament as the early favorites to qualify for states. The first doubles team of junior Abbie Hentel and sophomore Kacey Hamlin, along with the second doubles team of senior Sam Simpson and sophomore Katya Didonato, will look to prove that they too deserve respect for having undefeated seasons at the upcoming conference doubles tournament, which will include doubles teams from top ranked teams like Bronxville and Edgemont. Previous ranking: 10
On the bubble: John Jay Cross River (8-4), Suffern (10-3)
Coaches polled: Ted Garber (Bronxville), Mark Canno (Rye Neck), Quan Huynh (Harrison), Katie Feinstein (Edgemont), and Roger Dayer (Yorktown).