The Huntington High School junior varsity girls’ tennis team enjoyed a great season, compiling a 7-3 record while showcasing a cast of promising players.
Coached by physical education teacher Eric Mininni and captained by eighth grader Emily Kustera and freshman Kiera Coulter, the Blue Devils were shorthanded, but were very competitive in most meets.
“This was a hardworking and very coachable group of girls,” Mininni said. “They wanted to make themselves better and constantly worked on their skills at practice.”
Kustera played in the No. 1 singles spot as an eighth grader and went 5-5 against the best player on every opponent’s team. “Emily was very impressive against the toughest players in the league,” Mininni said. Coulter went 7-3 in No. 3 singles and seventh grader Isabella Palacios was 7-3 in the No. 4 singles position.
“Kiera did a great job in every match while Isabella is a fabulous athlete who had some of the most exciting points and matches this season,” Mininni said.
Freshman Jane Callery was 8-2 in No. 3 singles. “Jane was probably the quietest member of the team,” Mininni said. “She let her skills do all the talking out on the court.”
Eighth graders Vincenza Garofalo and Tess Markotsis also made their mark in their first season of high school play.
“I’m very proud of the Finley girls who came up to the high school and made major contributions to our team,” Mininni said.
The highlight of the season came in a home meet against visiting Harborfields. “We pulled out a tight victory by winning our final match to seal a tough 4-3 victory,” Mininni said. “I feel as though it set the tone for a spectacular season.”
Freshmen Ellie Kaufman and Kimberly Panameno bolstered the Blue Devil lineup. Huntington won home and away meets against Walt Whitman, Harborfields and Half Hollow Hills West and split a pair of meets with Commack. Only highly regarded Half Hollow Hills East outclassed the Blue Devils with a pair of 7-0 victories.
“We are a very young team, but loaded with talent,” Mininni said. Coach [Jamie] Fishlow will have some very tough decisions next year concerning who is on the varsity team. The JV included four athletes from Finley in Emily Kustera, Isabella Palacios, Vincenza Garofalo and Tess Markotsis, all of whom have phenomenal potential. Our four freshmen; Kiera Coulter, Jane Callery, Ellie Kaufman and Kimberley Panameno were all exceptional.”
Kaufman, Markotsis and Garofalo all tallied a team high six wins in doubles. The well-balanced team was hard to beat and had fun winning dozens of matches this spring. The group will pick it up again on Monday, August 23 when the fall season begins.
Interested in joining the high school tennis program? Send a message to Mininni at emininni@hufsd.edu.