Some new additions to the trophy case in the lobby will soon be on display, all thanks to the girls tennis team.  In one of the greatest seasons in the history of Schreiber athletics, the girls fought through tough competition to place second in the state. 

Last year, the season came to a bitter and disappointing end when the team lost to Syosset in the County Championship.  This year, they came back with a vengeance, determined to go further.  The girls were led by reigning New York State Doubles Champions Ellie Ross and Dasha Perfiliev, along with captains Grace Ain, Chloe Fanous, and Gabby Sorin.

The girls came into the season shining, rolling to a 4-0 start.  They continued to dominate, closing out the regular season with a 6-2 record.  Highlights of the season include a merciless 5-0 victory over Great Neck North in their last home game, which was also the senior game.

 In their first playoff matchup, the girls matched up against Hewlett, who they  fended off in an exciting 4-1 victory.  The squad got home court advantage for their next game against Roslyn, a team they had lost to the last time they met in the regular season.  However, they refused to go down, as they went on to defeat Roslyn 5-2.  This win would grant the girls a spot in the Nassau County Championship. Facing Syosset, their bitter rival, the girls refused to let history repeat itself.

In a nailbiter at Eisenhower Park, Dasha drew the first blood with a win in first singles.  Ellie followed Perfiliev up with a second singles victory, and the 1st doubles pair of Ain and Kors won in a tough battle.  However, the Braves didn’t go down without a fight, bringing the score back up to 3-3.  The fate of the team came down to Evie Loewy, an eighth grader, in third singles.  After going down in the first set, Loewy used the pressure as fuel to dominate the next two sets, winning her match and securing a 4-3 win for Port.  They would continue their post season in the Long Island Championship, where they faced Harborfields.  

“We knew we had what it takes, it was just about staying focused and executing.  Taking it one match at a time helped us do just that,” said freshman Juliana Johnson. 

After their triumphant victory against Syosset, the girls kept their feet on the gas.  Harborfields, the undefeated Suffolk County Champs, had no idea what was coming when they stepped out on the court.  Dasha and Ellie put Port up early once again, and the rest of the team followed suit.  Chloe Fanous and Christiana Kent added to the score with a third doubles win, and Ain and Kors clinched the match with a two set win.  Loewy, along with Yasmeen Munoz and Isabelle Dibner, joined in on the fun to make it 6-1 and take the crown of Long Island.

Moving on to the New York State Championship playoffs, the team yet again faced a difficult opponent against Clarence, coming in from Buffalo.  Playing in the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, home of the US Open, the Vikings cruised to a whopping 6-1 victory, allowing them to play in the state championship game.  Ross, Loewy, Kors, Ain, Sorin, Johnson, Fanous, Kent, Munoz, and Dibner all contributed to the win. 

Unfortunately, the season came to an end with a heartbreaking loss against Scarsdale, the reigning State Champs.  Despite not winning the whole thing, Port was ranked second  in New York.  Perfiliev and Ross had an unbelievable high school career, including winning the New York State Doubles Championship their junior year and adding to their hardware this year; the pair won their third straight Nassau County Doubles Championship and finished second in all of New York State.  

“Through all the ups and downs of the season… I couldn’t be more proud of our girls and the memories they created this year,” said head coach Shane Helfner.