By TONY BELLISSIMO
The Tigers got wins in the title match from Sloan Millman at second singles, Danielle Stathis at third singles and the combination of junior Ken Salomon and freshman Desmond Hibbert at first doubles.
"I've been a tennis coach at LWA for four years and this is the strongest team I've coached-not just in terms of talent, but enthusiasm, dedication and sportsmanship," Bobby Schaefer said. "The culture was different this year, mainly because we had an influx of talented freshmen. They gave us a lot of depth."
LWA, 4-8 in 2007, went 10-2 and beat each of its six league rivals (Schechter, Portledge, Kew Forest, Martin Luther, Knox and Long Island Lutheran) at least once. Five of the seven schools in the league had teams comprised of all boys. Only LWA and Kew Forest had a coed group. "We had an interesting mix," Schaefer said. "They all came together at the right time and formed a successful and fun team."
The tandem of Salomon and Hibbert went undefeated in eight matches. "I put them together for the first match and they clicked right away," Schaefer said. Both players are likely to fill vacancies at singles next spring as both Stathis and No. 1 Philippe Demers are ready to graduate after four years in the program.
Demers held his own at the top spot by going 6-4. "Philippe's a persistent player who can wear down most opponents," Schaefer said. "He does a lot of things well." Stathis enjoyed a strong finish to get over the .500 mark (5-4) for the season. She's quick on her feet and consistent with her shots.
Millman, one of four freshmen on the roster, took the league by storm and won a team-high nine matches against only three losses. "He's a powerful and intense player," Schaefer said. "He's got an excellent serve and ground strokes."
The coach used a rotation at second doubles, and no matter who he put together got the job done. Senior Nicole Acevedo, junior Mayahn Zion and freshmen Kendall Karson and Sarah Chorne were key contributors.
"I was very impressed with the performance of all the kids," Schaefer said. "They showed a lot of heart and spirit."
Comments about this story? tbellissimo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000, ext. 204.
