Glen Cove geared toward counties

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After graduating a number of key players from its 2017 roster, the Glen Cove girls’ tennis team has seen some struggles, amassing 12 losses whilst playing stiff competition this year in Conference IIA. That doesn’t sour the mood or expectations of head coach Chris MacDonald going in to the county tennis tournament this Saturday at Eisenhower Park.

“We’re ready for the county’s,” MacDonald said. “We are hoping to get one singles, and two doubles in, but we’re waiting for the meetings.”

This Thursday, will be a calendar day for the Glen Cove Lady Big Red season, as some of its most skilled players look to represent the north shore town in a battle with all of Nassau County.

The alluded hopeful entries for MacDonald include sophomore first singles Axelle LaBaw, first doubles seniors Ivane Olivera and Fernanda Falcon, and second doubles seniors Natalie Corella and Colleen Lynch.

LaBaw, the first singles player for Glen Cove was a second singles competitor as a sophomore just a season ago for the Lady Big Red. “She is the number one player on our team,” MacDonald said.

“Ivane and Fernanda have played in the county’s the past two years, so they have experience there and are looking to make their way back there this year,” MacDonald said.

The group of Corella and Lynch look to carry excellent confidence rolling in to county’s as they collected a 10-2 record in second doubles with two matches still to play. Out of those two matches remaining on the regular-season schedule, Glen Cove will line up opposite Great Neck South for the second time this year, a team they lost to in a clean 0-7 sweep last time out. “We have played them already; they’ve got some great players,” MacDonald said. “Maybe this time we can get an extra set or win a game against them here or there. It is all about making adjustments.”

Although winless thus far, MacDonald has taken the season in stride for what it is. “At this point, the younger girls are getting great experience for next season,” he said.

MacDonald is a tennis staple in the Glen Cove community, bringing about the genesis of a kid’s tennis program starting in 2016. The program has expanded over the years from just a handful of kids to at least a couple dozen every day throughout a week-long clinic.

“I really credit the high school kids for giving their time to come out and help, give tips, and get the younger kids excited about a sport they can really play for the rest of their lives,” MacDonald said. “It is nice to see because the fifth graders that were at the clinic two years ago are now seventh graders in the high school tennis program.”

The next iteration of the Glen Cove youth tennis clinic will run the week of Oct. 22, Monday through Friday from 4-5:30 p.m. at the Glen Cove High School tennis courts.