By Jessie Graber
On Friday Oct. 19, the girls’ varsity tennis team competed in the Conference Championships against Friends Academy. South won with a score of 4-3, claiming the title of Conference Champions for the first time since the 2007-2008 school year.
Coach Mr. Bradley Krauz was extremely proud of the excitement and hard work seen on and off the court. “I think in the conference championship the team was excited to be watching everyone play and cheering their teammates on. This game was something they will never forget.”
The parity and strength made this year’s team different from previous years. “Almost everyone was as good as everyone else, so it didn’t matter what position people were playing because they would have won in any position,” Coach Krauz stated.
Coach Krauz and Coach Andrew Tuomey, the girls’ junior varsity tennis coach, believe they have created a program that shows a clear expectation of intensity and hard work that “the players gravitate towards” during practice and games.
The game, like all past conference championships, was played at Garden City to avoid any home court advantage. With more than seven courts available, each match started and ended at around the same time. Senior Emma M. said, “While we were on the bus going to the championship game, I felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness. While playing on the court, I felt knots in my stomach and shaky in my feet. Despite my nerves, I knew the most important thing was to have fun and enjoy my last game as a Great Neck South Rebel!”
Emma and senior Katie W. are both very proud of their last tennis season at South. Both girls will remember how far they made it as a team and how everyone helped to contribute to the win. “As a senior, it was a heartwarming experience to have my team in the conference championship,” Katie said.