Girls Tennis Makes Second Round of Playoffs

While the season had its ups and downs, the girls team was able to make it one step farther in the playoffs than they did in 2021-2022. *Photo: Continental Studios*

By SOPHIE TAVERAS

After nine strenuous matches, the girls varsity tennis team wrapped up their 2022-2023 season, ending third in the division and losing to Brooklyn Tech in the second round of the playoffs.

The Lady Hornets did an honorable job, beating some of New York City’s toughest teams such as Brooklyn Tech and Leon M. Goldstein during the regular season and Benjamin N. Cardozo during the playoffs.

After losing in the first round last year, the players are proud of making it a step farther this year. Olga Unhuryan ‘23, a 1st doubles player with a 5-3 record, said, “This was an opportunity for us to show our skills not only as individuals but as a team, and I’m really excited about that.”

The team ended the season with a 3-6 record, and even though they had some losses, they found that they learned a lot from all of them.

“One of the biggest challenges I think we've faced is [dealing with our] mentality,” said senior Deborah Zeleny, a 2nd doubles player with a 9-1 record, and the captain of the team. “As much as tennis is a physical sport, it's also a mental one; the way you come into the game is the way you will play. So staying positive before, after, and during every game and every practice is definitely something we struggle with, but it’s so important.”

“There was a game against James Madison during the regular season where me and my partner, Olga, were losing 0-8,” said junior Gisele Borno, a 1st doubles player with a 6-5 record. “We barely made any points. But the next time we played Madison, we got it to 3-8. We still lost, but it was much closer with the points, and we had improved a lot.”

Underneath the growing pains, there were a lot of rewarding experiences.

“We've had a tough season, but we've gotten close and have supported each other through every win and every loss,” said Zeleny. “Being captain adds an extra level to that. My teammates come to me for help, which adds an extra level of support and friendship between us.”

“When I think about the season, I think about how much fun I had with my teammates during practices and games, not the losses,” said Unhuryan.

“I’m so proud of how we all created these emotional connections and were able to get far despite having such strong opponents,” said freshman Tatyana Kuneeva, a substitute.

Ms. Renee Goldfarb, the coach of the team and an Algebra II teacher, supported and challenged the girls all the way through, players said.

“I want to thank Ms. Goldfarb for the opportunity,” said Kuneeva. “She definitely tried her hardest, and it really showed. She’s an excellent coach who really cares about her students.”

Ms. Goldfarb “is always working so hard to learn with us and support us,” said Zeleny. “We're definitely not an easy team to deal with, but she has so much trust in us and treats us like friends rather than students.”

At the end of the day, the Lady Hornets formed an unbreakable bond not only amongst themselves, but with the sport.

“Tennis has taught me a lot about hard work,” said Zeleny. “It taught me how putting in time and effort, in addition to having a strong support system, will allow you to grow as an individual and as a tennis player.”

“My doubles partner, Olga, was a great person to play with,” said Borno. “We really worked well together and helped each other calm down when we were stressed. The whole team really helped each other.”

“I think this season and this team made me love tennis,” said Unhuryan. “We aren’t just teammates, we are a family.”