Beyond the Baseline: Lori Sarnelli, Point Set Tennis

The old cliche says that if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. For more than two decades, Lori Sarnelli has lived that cliche, as she has been an integral member of the team at Point Set Tennis, one of the pillars of the Long Island tennis community, and located in Oceanside. In September, Sarnelli celebrated her 25th anniversary at Point Set, where she now serves as the club’s General Manager. 

“I enjoy the people I am lucky to work with every day,” said Sarnelli. “I think I have a special bond with each of them. I enjoy spending time chatting with our clients and making new friends. There is a sense of camaraderie, and a sense of being home when you walk through that door, and I love the feel of that.”

Sarnelli’s journey at Point Set began at the turn of the century, and remains a moment that is etched in her mind forever.

“I remember the day like it was yesterday,” she recalls. “I was a stay-at-home mom, and a friend of mine worked in the pro shop at Point Set. Both of us had boys just beginning third grade, and my daughter was entering kindergarten. She mentioned that the managing partner needed an assistant, so I met with him (Dan Dwyer) and decided to work part-time around my kid’s schedule.”

Dan Dwyer ended up serving as a great mentor for Sarnelli in many ways and he was also the person who gave her that first tennis lesson, that was the gateway of her catching the tennis bug. Soon after, she was captaining USTA Adult League teams, and in 2019 she led one of those teams to the National Championship. Dwyer sadly passed away back in 2010, but left an indelible mark on not only Point Set, but Sarnelli as well. 

“Dan was a great mentor and became someone I could trust and lean on,” she said. “When my daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, he was so supportive even when I told him I needed to stop working. I took some time off, while always checking in, and once we had a handle at home I was back at work. My husband Vinny used to tease me about working at a tennis club, but I found a love for tennis, and a support system that has molded me to who I am today. When Dan passed away in 2010, I realized then that I was there for a reason, and it’s been 15-years since then that I have been the GM.”

And during that time Sarnelli has maintained the familial feel and continued the home environment that Point Set takes very seriously. With the help of a supportive and encouraging ownership team, plus a staff around her that makes her job easier on a day-to-day basis.

As a result of her dedication throughout these years, Sarnelli was honored with the Vitas Gerulaitis “For The Love of Tennis” Award at the USTA Long Island Region Awards Ceremony back in 2021, an award that recognizes individuals who show a deep passion for the game by supporting tennis programs, volunteering, and working to grow tennis on Long Island. 

And while Sarnelli was the one honored, she is quick to give credit to those around her. 

“You know how the saying goes, it takes a village. And I would not be where I am today without my Point Set family,” she said. “I am grateful for the owners, Marc Kemp in particular, and their commitment to updating the club and giving me the tools I need to make Point Set feel like a home for so many people.”

In talking about some of those people at Point Set, Sarnelli continued:

“Marc gave me a chance, trusted me and let me learn and grow along the way. Tonny [van de Pieterman], always my go to and my greatest cheerleader here at Point Set. When Dan passed away, we joined forces, made some changes and spit in the wind. Luckily, the ball was in our court, and we aced it! Our team has been the rock from the beginning. Tonny, along with Nadia [Johnston], David [Nisenson] and Claudio [Eulau] have been my balance beam. We have all worked together as a team for well over 10 years, and I honestly feel like we are family. When you have great people around you, they make you look good.”

Sarnelli has been at the forefront of making key decisions over the years to allow Point Set to remain a staple of LI tennis. One of those came a little more than 10 years ago when the famed Rockville Racquet Club closed down, and as a result Maureen McFadzen moved her ladies’ league operation over to Point Set. 

“We were blessed with inheriting Maureen and the women’s tennis leagues she organized. Since 2013 Maureen has been the backbone of our ladies’ leagues.”

Those decisions also included renovations and upgrades to the club’s infrastructure after Hurricane Sandy decimated our area, especially on the south shore, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic a few years ago. 

“We’ve had some ups and downs but somehow we have always figured out how to push forward,” Sarnelli says. “Sandy was a tough one, and we were so lucky to have the ownership’s commitment in upgrading the club and the team that stuck it out with us. Then the pandemic happened. That was such an uneasy, scary time for us all but we came back better than before!”

However, the biggest challenge Sarnelli faced didn’t have to do with anything on the court or club business. In 2010, just months after Dwyer’s passing, Sarnelli became sick, which ushered in some of the most trying years of her life. 

“It was a very tough year for me, but with the love and support from Marc, Tonny, Nadia and the rest of my work family, I pushed through,” she recalls. “I ended up gravely sick once again in 2014, and that was the most difficult time I have faced. The support that I received from my work family, my tennis friends, and the tennis community overall gave me hope, and a sense of comfort. I was able to work through some really difficult times because of the love and support from all, and from my own loving and supportive family.”

For 25 years, Sarnelli has been the face of Point Set tennis, and helped not just maintain but elevate the club’s standing in the Long Island tennis community. A lot of things happen, and changes occur during a long period of time, and it takes a special person in order to navigate all the challenges life throws.  

As Sarnelli prepares to enter her 26th year at Point Set, she is still as energized and enthusiastic as ever, and is excited for what lies ahead. 

“I am looking forward to more time on the tennis court with friends, welcoming fresh faces, and staying active through the game that’s become a lifelong passion,” Sarnelli said. “Each season brings new challenges and memories, and it’s exciting to keep learning, and enjoying the camaraderie that makes the club feel like a second home.”