East Hampton - Head Coach Jim Nicoletti knew it wouldn't be one of those 7-0 walks in the park. The East Hampton Girl's tennis team would have to fight and scratch on each point if it was to prevail in the Suffolk County quarterfinals against fifth-seeded Hauppauge.
They fought - they scratched - they did everything for which Nicoletti could have asked. However, behind a sweep of the singles matches, Hauppauge earned a semifinal date Tuesday with top-ranked Westhampton Beach by beating the Bonackers 5-2.
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Freshman Amy Naula tosses the ball up to serve in
the No. 4 singles match against Hauppauge. |
While Hauppauge (11-4), the League I third-place finisher, joined a field of four in the County semis, East Hampton finished 12-3 for the season, a tremendously successful one under its first-year coach. "We had a deal right from the beginning that we would work to get better every day, and we did that," Nicoletti said. "From day one, we just kept improving, and that carried us through the season."
Nicoletti knew, though, that Hauppauge's excellence in the elite singles spots would give his team trouble. "I knew [No. 1 and 2 singles] were going to be tough, but given the lineup that we had, thought we had a shot to win five points," Nicoletti said, "and we did, but we only won two of them."
Doubles Delight
Hauppauge did take the top two singles matches, and a win at No. 3 singles added a third checkmark to the Eagles' ledger. The East Hamptoner showed no quit, and soon enough, the visitors were left sweating out that fourth point.
The Bonackers' dynamite top doubles team of sophomore Joneen Murphy and junior Hyatt Tortorella got East Hampton on the board first. Showing great chemistry and consistency with their ground strokes, the tandem blitzed Hauppauge's top pair, 6-2, 6-0.
"They're a good doubles team," Nicoletti said. "They played together all year, they had a great season, and I'm certainly happy with the way they played today."
A shuffle in the East Hampton lineup paid dividends at second doubles. Sophomore Casey Nicoletti, who played singles all season, teamed up with junior Kelly Naula, and they promptly took care of Hauppauge's Michele Lagar and Katie Berka, 6-2, 6-1. East Hampton needed both active matches to go its way, but Hauppauge managed to take each, including a hard-fought battle at No. 3 doubles.
Sophomores Erika Barco and Emma Shilowicz of East Hampton went shot for shot against Hauppauge's Annie Yueh and Heather Carroll, but the Eagles' freshman tandem escaped with a victory, winning 7-6 (7-5), 6-3.
An Early Start
Hauppauge's singles players came off the bus and came out firing. Sophomore Jennifer Kellner and senior Katherine Hanson, who were crowned County champs in doubles this past weekend, split up and won their singles matches in straight sets over Molly Nolan and Bev Keyes, respectively. Then at No. 3, Lyndsay Thomas toppled Calli Nicoletti, the Bonackers' only senior this season, 6-2, 6-0. The elder Nicoletti sister, one of the Bonacker captains, will be tough to replace, said her dad.
"She won some big matches for us, and she was important in where we finished up in the league," Nicoletti said. "It's tough to see Calli go. Nobody will miss her more than me, but we have girls that are chomping at the bit to move in."
Hauppauge now advances to face Westhampton, which has surrendered just points to its opponents all season, on Tuesday.
