Syosset Defeats Horace Greeley To Win First Girls Tennis State Title In Program History
For the fourth time in the last five years, the Syosset Braves found itself in the finals of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Girls Tennis’ Championship.
But unlike those three previous attempts, Syosset would not be denied this time around. The Braves defeated Horace Greeley 5-2 in a rematch of the 2024 final, claiming the program’s first girls tennis’ state title.
“I’m just super excited for all of the girls, their parents and the community as a whole,” said Syosset head coach Shai Fisher. “It’s been an interesting season, a fun season. We dealt with a lot of stuff, from injuries and illnesses; just a lot of different things. I’m very proud of all the girls for they handled it all season, and for the way they came out and played today.”
For the past several seasons, Syosset has been anchored by the strength and depth of its doubles teams. And while that still exists, a key reason the team got over the hump this year was its formidable singles trio.
That trio was led by Nassau County singles champion and senior co-captain Stephanie Marcheret who won 6-1, 6-2 at first singles. At third singles, Hannah Wang won 6-1, 6-0.
A key victory came from eighth-grader Skyler Lin who posted a 6-2, 6-4 victory at second singles to complete the singles sweep for Syosset.
“Not just today, but if you look at some of the biggest matches throughout the year, Skyler pulls through. The better competition, the better she plays,” said Fisher. “She plays a great game and gets to every ball. There’s times where she just sacrifices her body and does splits on the court or runs into the curtains. But she’s a tremendous money player for us; when the pressure’s on, she plays even better.”
With three court victories on its ledger, the clinching match for Syosset would come from the third doubles team of senior co-captain Julia Isham and junior Kayla Lo. After winning the first set in a tiebreaker, the pairing completed a 7-6(5), 6-4 victory to seal the state title for their team.
“It was a lot of pressure, but we do it for this team,” said Lo, who served the match out at 5-4 in the second set. “I love this team, and I’m hoping there is more to come for us.”
Isham, who closes out her career with a state title and the clinching win, added:
“It’s my senior year and I really couldn’t ask for anything better. We did it as a team.”
Speaking specifically about the singles play, Isham said:
“They’re incredible. They all work so hard, and during practices they will be off in their own world getting ready for their matches. In previous years we always relied on our doubles, and I’m really happy with how our singles play keeps getting better. I’m proud of this entire team, we finally did it.”
At fourth doubles, Syosset’s Kayla Kim & Siya Mehta came back from a set down to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 to round out the scoring for the Braves.
Horace Greeley would win the matches at first doubles and second doubles. Daniella Rosenblit & Scarlett Mcfadzen won 6-2, 6-3 at first doubles, while Lia Yedid & Sophia Wang came back from a set down to win 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 on the second doubles court.
Syosset now sets its sights on defending its title a year from now. And while it will have to do so without seniors Isham and Marcheret, these experiences continue to prove to be invaluable.
“I’m super happy for them because they’ve poured so much time and effort into this. I think being here and knowing what it takes to be committed throughout the whole season is huge. Our program has really changed to where our girls are playing six days a week, four to five hours a day,” said Fisher. “It really starts with Steph and Julia, and filters down to the other girls. I know our team will enjoy this, but then I expect that they will be back on the court tomorrow. That’s just how they are, and it’s a testament to them and their commitment.”
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