With a county title, a fourth-place finish in conference one, and victories over top high schools in Nassau County, the Lady Rebels demonstrated their talents and determination by having one of the most successful seasons of South’s girls tennis history.
Junior co-captain Madison Lee has been on the varsity team since her freshman year, and her passion for the sport has only grown each season.
“I liked everything about this season. Everything. Every match was fun,” Lee said.
However, the start of the season was not ideal.Losing two matches in a row against Syosset and Port Washington, coach Andrew Tuomey decided to change the lineup.
“I thought we might as well [make changes] earlier because what happened during the firsttwo [matches] didn’t work,” Tuomey said. “It’s just a matter of me being able to see everybody and see what I think would be a good combination.”
This timely adjustment turned the season around, sparking new energy and chemistry among the players. The Lady Rebels’ confidence and teamwork increased as they worked together, and their efforts quickly paid off. Winning four consecutive matches, they established themselves as fierce competitors, with their record improving to 9-6.
One of the key victories this season was beating George W. Hewlett High School on senior day. The team lost to Hewlett last year, and the Lady Rebels wanted to clinch a win for their seniors this year.
“I liked our senior game. It was just a vibe,” Lee said. “We had a sweep, the sky was pretty, and everyone played well.”
Seventh grader Gabrielle Villegas secured the win for the rebels, beating Hewlett’s best player Tiffany Lin. After losing the first set, Villegas came back to win the deciding set in a tight 10-point tiebreaker.
“I was down a lot the first time I played Tiffany, but I was able to make a comeback. I felt much more confident going into the [rematch],” Villegas said.
The Lady Rebels continued to display their improvement in team and individual tournaments. Notably, half of the team competed in the Nassau County Tournament at Eisenhower Park on October 19. First-singles Villegas and second-singles Lee decided to enter as a doubles pair for this competition due to an ankle injury that occurred before the season. Despite not playing their regular positions, the pair displayed amazing dynamics and synergy on the court. The duo earned the doubles title, becoming the first-ever doubles county champions in South’s history.
“We knew who our competition was. I think our most challenging match was definitely the semifinals against Port [Washington]. We had some controversy, but we ended up getting through it. We played two of my friends in the final, so it was a nice way to win Nassau County Championships,” Lee said.
The victory at counties also qualified the duo for the New York States Championship. The tournament lasted from Monday, October 28, to Wednesday, October 30. The pair made a hard fought run to the final, beating some of the best players across New York state. However, the duo fell short in the finals, losing to Allison Tsai and Michelle Roseblit from Horace Greeley High School.
“Making it to the final [and] thinking we have a good chance to win, but then getting punched in the face was kind of rough, to be honest,” coach Tuomey said. “[However,] Madison and Gabby played amazing doubles tennis in winning their quarterfinal and semifinal matches.”
As the team secures its position in conference one, the goal for next season is to challenge top-ranked teams in the conference, such as Syosset High School.
Despite these ambitions, Lee believes the heart of the tennis team lies within their memories: friendships built over early-morning practices, confidence that grows with every match, and life skills shaped between the lines on the court.
“Joining the tennis team [has been] the best part of high school,” Lee said.
