The Huntington junior varsity girls’ tennis team frequently found itself shorthanded of players this fall. That said, the Blue Devils have some talented athletes on the roster who proved to be rugged competitors against some of the top tennis programs in Suffolk.
The Huntington JV was led by Regan Sansiviero, Alyson Baker and Nina Drakulich. Maggie Lalor and Sadie Walters captained the team, which was coached by physical education teacher Eric Mininni.
Freshman Regan Sansiviero played No. 1 singles for the Huntington JV.
“The team did a great job,” Mininni said. The highlight of the season came in a pair of tight matches against skilled Commack.
“We were in both matches and it really could have gone either way both times,” Mininni said. “Unfortunately, we were unable to win either match, but it was still impressive to be able to compete with Commack.”
A talented freshman, Sansiviero held down the No. 1 singles position. “She’s quite a gifted athlete and she improved her tennis skills over the course of the season,” Mininni said. “Regan is a great competitor.”
Baker also shined during her freshman season on the team. “Alyson is a jack of all trades,” Mininni said. “She was my most improved player over the entire years.”
Mininni cited Drakulich as the “most gifted tennis player on the team. She has the tools to be a key contributor for the varsity team.” The sophomore earned a call-up to the varsity squad, which reached the Suffolk playoffs and toppled higher seeded East Islip on its home courts in the opening round of the county tournament.
The JV squad also included freshman Sabeena Ali, Emily Geller and Ainsley Proctor and juniors Kyra DeSalvo and Paige Mangan.
Interested in playing on the Huntington JV girls’ tennis team next fall? Send a message to Coach Mininni at emininni@hufsd.edu.