Despite losing eight seniors from a team that went 13-1 and captured the Nassau Conference II-B championship in 2018, the Lynbrook girls’ tennis team is a win away from clinching at least a share of another league title.
After a shutout victory Oct. 10 over visiting Long Beach, the team’s eleventh consecutive win, the Lady Owls improved their record to 12-1. With a win over Massapequa in their last regularly scheduled contest, the Lady Owls will finish in a first- place tie with Oceanside. Lynbrook and Oceanside split their season series.
“Coming into the season, I knew we’d be ok because of our depth at doubles,” long-time Lynbrook coach Shari Bowes said. “But, we didn’t have a lot of experienced singles players. The girls rose to the occasion. They’re athletic, focused, and passionate. Just a great group.”
The Lady Owls played a pair of thrillers with South Side, winning both matches 4-3. When the teams met in mid September, Lynbrook swept all four doubles matches. Sisters Grace and Maggie Bodian, the team’s second doubles pair, battled back after dropping the first set to defeat Leah DeVito and Maeve Laurie 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 to secure the win.
In the second meeting, DeVito and Laurie returned the favor by beating the Bodians in three sets, leaving the outcome of the match in the hands of the sophomore Alex Travis. The team’s second singles player exacted a little revenge on Meghan Sherlock with a hard-fought 6-4, 7-5 victory. Sherlock had beaten Travis the first time they met.