Thursday, October 1, 2026
It wasn’t long ago when opponents were happy to see Valley Stream South boys tennis on its schedule.
Over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, the Falcons won just one of 28 matches. But a move to Conference 4 last spring, coupled with the leadership of Markus Kreuzer and addition of talented youngster Andre Rubio, the program got on the map with a 10-6 record.
“Winning one match in two years wasn’t great for morale or recruiting kids to play,” coach Dave Richman said. “The most important thing was to give the team a better chance at being competitive, so we moved to Conference 4.”
This year, the Falcons proved a bit more than just competitive. They captured the conference championship in undefeated fashion with a 14-0 mark. It’s the program’s first conference title since 2010.
“We brought back almost everyone from last year and used the same lineup throughout this entire season,” said Richman, in his fifth year as VSS coach. “Winning 10 matches created a different atmosphere and it gave the kids a real desire to be successful. I’m really proud of these guys.”
Kreuzer, a senior who played third singles, showed up last spring with a focus Richman never saw before, he said. “Markus became a real leader and wanted not only himself but most importantly for the team to succeed,” Richman noted. “His skill got incredibly better. He has the ability to wear opponents down.”
Kreuzer went 10-1 and served as a captain along with No. 2 singles player Leo Rodriguez, a junior who also plays volleyball. Rodriguez (10-2) played second singles last season and will be the leader going forward.
“We’re losing about half of the starting lineup to graduation,” Richman said. “Leo will definitely be ready to take over the leadership role. He’s a highly competitive and consistent athlete.”
Rubio provided a jolt to the lineup a year ago and helped get the Falcons flying in the right direction. He played third singles and rose to the top spot this spring, going undefeated in 12 matches.
“It’s wonderful to have a player of his talent level,” Richman said. “Andre is still growing physically but he’s hitting the ball with much more velocity than last year. He plays tennis year-round and has a tremendous understanding of the sport.”
But a team can’t win matches based on singles courts alone and the Falcons had steady contributions at doubles, starting at the top with senior Arsh Sondhi and junior Calvin Lee. It was their second season as the top duo. Sondri also moved up to fill in during a few singles matches, Richman said.
At second doubles was another familiar tandem with seniors Nicholas Rizzuto and Nathan Patangan pairing up for a second straight year.
“Those two doubles teams were a big part of our turnaround,” Richman said.
Senior Vijah Singh and freshman Ezeki Mitchel thrived at third doubles, while senior Jesse Sherack and junior Spencer Kaplan got the job done at fourth doubles.
“We didn’t have the mindset of ‘this is our year,’” Richman said. “But we’re glad it turned out that way.”
