Women’s Tennis First Conference Match
Annabelle Abruzzo, ‘29
Photo by Caroline Hei ‘27: Zoe Kovac ‘26 on the tennis court.
The women’s tennis team had their first Skyline match last Thursday, Sept. 18, against Yeshiva University. The match was held at United States Tennis Association (USTA) Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, NY, also home to the U.S. Open. It was an extremely close match, with the Gryphons losing 3-4. Regardless, the team agrees that it was a great way to start off the conference.
The energy before the match reflected how seriously the team took their performance. Co-captain Zoe Kovac ’26, gathered the team, stating, “We are going into [this match] with an open-mind, focus, discipline and motivation.”
The Gryphons took the doubles point, winning two out of the three doubles matches. Doubles One, consisting of co-captain Josephine Jackson ‘28 and co-captain Neomi Spellman ‘27, won their match 6-3. Spellman reflected on their win after, saying, “It was really our consistency that brought it home.”
The other winning pair was Doubles Three—Colleen Coughlin ‘26 and Margaret Moon ‘27. After the match, Coughlin stated, “Best competition we’ve had all season.” This was Coughlin and Moon’s second time playing as doubles partners this season, their first being a 6-0 victory against John Jay.
Coughlin spoke about what makes their partnership so effective: “We both play really relaxed, and when you play with a pairing that matches your mindset in that way it just meshes really well. I think that has been what elevates us against opponents.”
The singles matches were hard-fought. Kovac won her match 6-4, 6-0, while Viha Shah ‘26 won hers 6-0, 6-4. After the match, Kovac reflected on her mindset, saying, “If you keep your head in the game and you believe in yourself, a lot could happen, and you could go far. That’s what I’m going to do for the rest of the season.”
The match that everyone had their eyes on that day, however, was Spellman playing Singles One. Spellman’s match was a nail-biter, going to three sets and lasting a little over two hours. The last set was a total of 12 matches, with a final score of 5-7, the victory going to Yeshiva. Despite her loss, Spellman put up an incredible fight, even continuing to play after a leg injury in the first set. Spellman commented on her performance against a challenging opponent, stating, “I just tried to get every shot back. As long as I could get a shot back I was still in the match.”
While the Gryphons didn’t come away with the win, they view this match as a successful conference opener—a close match against a strong opponent. Yeshiva University made last year’s playoffs, and remains one of this year’s most formidable teams. Even so, the Gryphons did not back down in the face of a challenge.
While this match revealed what players need to work on for upcoming matches, it also highlighted the team’s strengths and assets. Women’s tennis is continuing to train hard, and the team feels confident about this year’s conference.