2015 New York City Girls High School Preview

Last spring, the Beacon Lady Demons once again reigned supreme as the best team in New York City. The Demons topped McKee Staten Island Tech 3-2 in an excellent city championship. Not only did Beacon win the team championship, a pair of Beacon players, Alexus Gill & Michelle Khaimov, won the Doubles Championship at the 2015 Mayor’s Cup.

The girls season in New York City has now been moved to the fall, and will give a chance for the top players to compete with the rest of the state at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) State Championship at the end of the season.

Players to watch
►Alexus Gill, The Beacon School
►Tamila Latif-Zade—James Madison High School
►Anastasiya Malinouskaya—Staten Island Technical High School
►Sarah Rahman, Bronx High School of Science
►Victoria Sec, The Beacon School
►Nicole Semenov, Brooklyn Technical High School
►Brianna Williams, Bronx High School of Science

Teams to watch
Manhattan: The Beacon School
The Beacon School won its third consecutive PSAL title this past spring, edging McKee Staten Island Tech 3-2 in the city championship. The girls from Beacon are the favorites to repeat as city champions for the fourth straight year this fall, returning nearly its entire roster from last year. Michaella Estevez, who played second doubles with Sofia Pascual last season, was the only senior on the roster. Alexus Gill, Victoria Sec, Michelle Khaimov and the aforementioned Pascual will lead Beacon to what it hopes will be another city title.

Queens: Francis Lewis High School
The Patriots of Francis Lewis High School enjoyed an excellent season last year, reaching the city semifinals, before falling to McKee Staten Island Tech. Despite losing a couple of its top doubles players and its second singles player, Nicole Stay returns at first singles and Jean Soo at third singles. Head Coach Wayne Zweigbaum calls Stay one of the best players in the city, and will be counted on to lead the Patriots deep into the city playoffs.

Bronx—Bronx High School of Science
The Bronx High School of Science Wolverines might have the best 1-2 punch in all of New York City in Brianna Williams and Sarah Rahman atop the singles lineup. Williams is a two-time Mayor’s Cup Singles Champion and Rahman recently reached the semifinals at the New Balance High School Tennis Championship. Joining the duo is Sofie Levine, who went 10-2 as a freshman last year. This three-headed monster will look to lead the Wolverines to a city championship.

Brooklyn: Brooklyn Technical High School
The Brooklyn Technical High School Engineers lost a close match to Tottenville High School in last year’s tournament, falling 3-2, and will be looking to build on this fall. The Engineers are led by sophomore Nicole Semenov, who didn’t lose a match all season as a freshman. Right behind her is another sophomore, Chelsea Williams, giving Brooklyn Tech an excellent duo at the top of their card. Despite losing some key doubles players, the Engineers should be a major threat come playoff time.

Staten Island: Tottenville High School
The Pirates of Tottenville High School had a very successful campaign this past spring, reaching the city quarterfinals. The Pirates will lose the first doubles tandem of Katherine Villarroel & Stephanie Le to graduation, but still have a deep lineup that should make them a contender. The top three singles players—Autumn Greco, Karina Karazhbey and Paulina Daugis—will again be called upon to lead Tottenville, and the experienced seniors Nicole Galabrese and Valerie Awad will look to dethrone McKee Staten Island Tech as the top team in Staten Island.

Key dates: New York City Girls High School Tennis