Blue Devil Girls’ Tennis Celebrates Senior Day

The Huntington girls’ tennis team celebrated the careers of its five seniors before taking to the courts and overwhelming Smithtown West in league play, 5-2. The victory improved the Blue Devils’ record to 8-5 overall. Huntington has qualified for the playoffs.

Senior Day festivities recognized Kate Balm, McKenna Buffa, Anna Larson, Daniela Luca and Anna Bell Young. There were warm words, colorful flower bouquets and touching posters filled with photos for each of the teenagers who have done so much for the Blue Devil tennis program over the years.

Coach Jamie Fishlow spoke about each of the seniors as their parents, teammates and friends stood nearby. Naturally there were a few tears shed.

“Senior Day was so much fun and the team was so thoughtful, giving us flowers and making us posters,” Ms. Young said. “We’ve had a great season and we are looking forward to playoffs!”

It’s not lost on the five seniors that their time in the program is nearing its end. “To me, wearing a Blue Devil uniform means hitting a winner in a match and watching your whole team cheer for you,” Ms. Young said. “Wearing my uniform means nervously sharing a whole bag of pretzels with my team while watching a third set tie breaker. It means laughing hysterically when Coach Fishlow says something funny, but trying to hide it so he thinks we’re still focused.”

Similar to her teammates, Ms. Young has been playing in the program for many years. “I’ve always loved being a part of the team and playing,” she said. “But I have a new appreciation for it after tearing my ACL and recovering from surgery. What kept me going these past nine months was the idea of getting back out to play. And I’m so happy to say all those hours of physical therapy paid off and by the middle of the season, I could return to the sport. I really missed practicing with my team and playing in matches. And I find myself not just hitting to win, but playing to show myself how far I’ve come since January.”

The Senior Day festivities and the match against Smithtown West played out at the high school’s Coach Cuppernull Courts complex. A longtime district physical education teacher, Ronald Cuppernull founded the girls’ program and coached both boys’ and girls’ varsity teams for many decades before turning both programs over to Coach Fishlow, his trusted assistant.

“To me, wearing the Blue Devils varsity girls’ tennis uniform over the past four years has meant everything,” Ms. Balm said. “Ever since I was little, I had dreamed about playing on this team as my mom had played for Coach Cuppernull when she went to Huntington and I desperately wanted to create my own memories on this team like she had, but with the coaching advice of Coach Fishlow. Putting on the uniform for the first time freshman year was almost surreal as I had waited so long for that moment and it finally occurred. I never believed people who warned me how fast the last 4 years would go until it hit me that this is my final season on these courts.”

The teenager never took playing for Huntington for granted. “Returning each season and being given the incredible opportunity to wear the uniform with Blue Devil spirit and pride has given me something to look forward to at the beginning of each new school year, which I am not quite ready to let go of yet,” Ms. Balm said. “As my final season as a Blue Devil tennis player comes to a close, I am reluctant to think of what my future will look like without the comfort of the uniform, but I know the great advice of Coach Fishlow and experiences created with each year’s team in the uniform will help me to grow as a person in the future. I will forever cherish each memory and experience this team has given me and will forever be proud to call myself an alumni of the Huntington varsity girls’ tennis team. Every girl I have been able to play alongside with during my time on the team I consider to be family and that will never change because of how much being part of this team and wearing this uniform has meant to me.”

The Blue Devils have proved to be quite competitive this fall, making the season even sweeter for the seniors.

“Getting to wear a Blue Devil tennis uniform has meant so much to me over the past four years,” Ms. Buffa said. “It represents all of the hard work we put in as a team from the start of the season to the end and reminds us to always play our best, even when matches get tough. It has been a privilege to wear this uniform along with my team.”

The seniors have learned that the only way to be successful is by working hard. “Being on this team has been one of my favorite experiences of my high school career,” Ms. Buffa said. “Since tryouts in late August of my freshman year, I have looked forward to practicing with Coach Fishlow and my teammates ever since. I’m so grateful for the people I was able to meet these past four seasons. Ending my Blue Devil tennis career as a captain and being able to follow in the footsteps of all the captains I looked up to in years prior was definitely a special memory I will look back on and miss.”

Fishlow will miss the seniors as much as they will miss playing for the Blue Devils. “Wearing a Blue Devil tennis uniform has given me the opportunity to play tennis with a team of great girls every year,” Ms. Luca said. “Practicing and competing in matches together has been extremely rewarding and a lot of fun. I have enjoyed my experience playing tennis for Huntington over the last four years. I have made amazing friendships and countless memories every season.”

Ms. Larson played for Huntington in each of the past two seasons after transferring to the high school from St. Anthony’s. “The Blue Devil uniform means a lot to me,” she said. “When I have it on, it reminds me of all the memories I have made on this team; all the love from my teammates and everyone who has supported me and cheered me on throughout the years. Playing tennis for Huntington has become something I look forward to before school starts. It gives me an opportunity to play the sport I love with people I love.”

Ms. Balm and her fellow seniors grew whimsical while looking back over their Blue Devil careers and knowing their time playing at the Coach Cuppernull Courts complex will soon end.

“I have without any doubt enjoyed every single second I have played for the girls’ tennis team,” Ms. Balm said. “From my first day of tryouts my freshman year to my last home match this past Friday, everything I have ever done with this team has shaped me into a better person than I was prior to playing on it. Although I am extremely passionate about the sport, I did not only return each season because of my love for it; I returned because of the family I created here. Without this team, my high school experience would have been nowhere near as fun or incredible as being a part of this team has made it. I can’t even begin to describe how appreciative I am for all of the amazing girls I have met who helped shape me into who I am today and for everything Coach Fishlow had taught me over the years. Through being a part of this team, I have learned so much about myself that I don’t think I ever would have without these people and experiences to help me realize it.”

Each of the seniors has their own personal take on Coach Fishlow and how he has pushed them to get just a little bit better every day.

“Considering everything I have been taught by Coach Fishlow, one lesson that will forever stick with me through life will be this: To never place limitations on myself because anything is possible if I work hard and believe in myself,” Ms. Balm said. “While I am reluctant to acknowledge my final season is coming to an end, I am beyond grateful for having been given the opportunity to play on the varsity team alongside so many amazing people all four years and cannot wait to see where Coach Fishlow and future players - returning and new - take this team. I have cherished each and every moment I have spent on this team and I am going to miss everything about it. Thank you so much Huntington girls’ tennis for everything. It has truly made my high school experience the best.”