Oceanside nets successful season

Led by a trio of doubles pairings, Oceanside claimed the top spot in Nassau Conference II-B girls’ tennis with a record of 11-1 and advanced to the county playoffs where it lost a first-round match to eventual champion Plainview-JFK.

Coach Jamie Della Rocca had a feeling the Lady Sailors were bound for good things in 2009 and thought they fulfilled their potential despite the tough ending. “The girls were disappointed because they wanted to win badly, but they played amazing in my mind and had a great year,” she said.

Although none of its four doubles tandems stayed intact from a year ago, Oceanside dominated the competition with two players on each side of the court. Senior captain Heather Zucker and junior Ali Brooks went 10-1 during the regular season at first doubles, senior Corinne Frost and junior Emily Carlisi were a perfect 12-0 at second doubles, juniors Erica Klieman and Sydne Jacoby compiled a 10-2 mark at third doubles, and junior Leigh Cohen and sophomore Stacey Rozell took seven of eight matches they worked together at fourth doubles. “All four teams jelled,” Della Rocca said. “They communicated really well and played aggressively.”

Zucker played first doubles in 2008, while Brooks paired with since-graduated sister Lindsay to go undefeated at fourth doubles. Their consistently strong ground strokes gave opponents fits. Frost, an alternate a year ago, was the team’s most improved player according to Della Rocca. Frost and Carlisi dropped only three sets all year, Klieman and Jacoby had a knack for grinding out close matches, and Cohen and Rozell rolled to victory all but once.

Senior Arina Zanin, in her fourth year at No. 1 singles, impressed with a record of 8-4 thanks in large part to a big first serve. “Arina really came into her own and did a nice job varying her shots and keeping opponents off balance,” Della Rocca said. “She’s a powerful hitter who uses the whole court.”

At second singles, junior Brianna Forman was also 8-4. On varsity since 2006, she’s likely to take over the top spot from the graduating Zanin. “Brianna has a lot of heart and I’m looking forward to seeing what she can do next year,” Della Rocca said. “She’s an aggressive player with a strong net game.”

A real student of the game, third singles player Amandine Legoupil-Maier improved her footwork and serve during the offseason and earned five wins. 

“I was confident we’d be very competitive,” Della Rocca said. “The girls definitely played up to their potential.”