Long Islanders Making Waves in the Collegiate Ranks
Each year, Long Island junior tennis players graduate from high school and head off to college to take their academics and tennis play to the next level. College tennis takes a huge commitment and a great work ethic if success is going to be achieved. Hopefully, their success can lead to more juniors following in their footsteps on the road to college scholarships and college level tennis.
Virginia women’s tennis freshman Julia Elbaba from Oyster Bay, N.Y. reached the singles final of the ITA All-American Championships this past fall. She is the first player in UVA history to accomplish this. Not only did she make the finals of the main draw, but she had to battle her way through pre-qualifying and qualifying rounds to get there. Elbaba won 10 matches at the event to reach the final, winning three in pre-qualifying, three in qualifying and four in the main draw. She lost just two sets in those 10 wins, three of which came against 2012 All-Americans. Julia came up short in her bid to win the first major championship in school history, falling to the third-seeded Lauren Embree of Florida 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the final.
This spring, Julia has continued her success at 17th-ranked University of Virginia. She has twice been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s tennis player of the week. She also led her team to a huge victory over the number one NCAA Division I ranked team of The University of North Carolina with wins in both singles and doubles. Elbaba is currently ranked 11th in the nation in Division I singles.
Freshman Hannah Camhi of Syosset, N.Y. led Brown against number nine Miami, earning a three-set win at number two singles, where she upset number 73 Kelsey Laurente, 2-6, 6-0, 6-2. In Brown’s win over Florida International, Camhi won both of her matches, combining with senior Misia Krasowski of Deerfield, Ill. for an 8-3 win at number one doubles and then earning another three-set win at number two singles, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 10-8. Overall, Camhi currently leads the Bears with a 19-5 singles record and a 17-8 mark in doubles competition.
Georgetown University men’s tennis team won its eighth consecutive match this spring, defeating Fairfield, 6-1, at the McDonough Outdoor Tennis Complex. The Hoyas have not lost a home men’s tennis match yet this season, amassing an 8-0 mark in D.C. Three Long Islanders have helped Georgetown achieve this accomplishments. Sophomore Daniel Khanin of Baldwin, N.Y., sophomore Alex Tropiano of Laurel Hollow/Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. and freshmen Kevin Katz of Woodbury, N.Y. have been huge contributors to Georgetown’s success.
Nichols College graduate student David Drucker of Bellmore, N.Y. won his 55th career singles match to become the program’s all-time wins leader. Drucker defeated Taylor Webster of Roger Williams 2-6, 7-6(7-3), 6-3 at number three singles.
Ninth-ranked Duke University men’s tennis team concluded its 2013 regular season road schedule with a 5-2 win over Georgia Tech. The Blue Devils improve to 18-4 on the season and 6-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Playing in the first ACC match of his Duke career, freshman Josh Levine of Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. downed Colin Edwards, 6-3, 6-2, to put the Blue Devils within one point of the win. Levine now owns a 7-0 record in the dual season.
Senior Daniel Kreyman of Long Beach, N.Y. and freshman Brandon Henry of Massapequa, N.Y. have both contributed to Wake Forest’s ranking of 26th in the NCAA Division I rankings. The Demon Deacons (16-6 and 5-2 in the ACC) hold sole possession of fourth place in the ACC with three conference matches remaining on the schedule.
