Harvey Tennis Team Captures HVAL Title

KATONAH, N.Y. - The Harvey School’s girl varsity tennis team are the 2024 champions of the HVAL.

The Cavaliers, undefeated in the league and the top seed entering the title match, held off the second seed Watkinson Rams 4-3 in a hard-fought contest on Harvey’s Davis Courts Monday, May 13.

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“Our girls were pushed to the limit by regular-season runner-up Watkinson, but our depth in doubles once again was the difference as we swept all three must-win doubles matches,” said a jubilant Harvey head coach Tim Cornell.

In singles, despite feeling under the weather, Harvey’s No.1singles player Cindy Wang dug down deep to win convincingly 8-3.

“We did not even know if Cindy would be able to play as she was in the nurse's office before the match began, but she fought through her pain and once again played great to get us off on the right foot,” Coach Cornell said.

After Wang’s win, Watkinson put the pressure on by winning three close contests in singles to take a 3-1 lead. The Rams only needed one victory in doubles to snatch the trophy away from the Cavaliers, but the Harvey doubles teams rose to the occasion. First off was the pairing of Arabella Serfilippi and Kayla Lichtenstein who won 8-2.  Coach Cornel said, “Arabella's normal partner Sarah Fisher was out sick, so she and Kayla whom she had never played together with this year until this match, had to step up, and boy did they ever. You would have never known that this was the first time they played together, but their chemistry was awesome in getting Harvey back in the match. This adaptability really shows what this team is about.”

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The last two matches were No.1 and No.3 doubles, both a must win for Harvey to take home the crown. In the No.1 doubles match, Harvey was serving 7-6 and 8-7 for a chance to put away the Watkinson team, but both times the visitor’s pairing was up to the task, winning both must-win games to force a tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, Harvey bolted out to a 6-1 lead, one point from the win and leveling the match 3-3, but, once again the Rams from West Hartford, Connecticut, did not back down. They won four straight points to pull within 6-5. Harvey’s Campbell French, however, hit a nice serve which her Watkinson opponent hit into the net to give Harvey a very hard-fought 9-8 (7-5) victory.

It then came down to the No. 3 pairing of Caleigh Flink and Emma Lederer. Despite the pressure of having a large crowd focused on their match, they were locked in and finished off their Watkinson opponent 8-3 to bring home the championship.
Both Harvey coaches were effusive in their praise of a tough and resilient group of young women. “It was by no means easy, but just like we have done all year, when we needed to win a tiebreaker or finish off a close match, somehow we were always able to do it,” said assistant coach Keri Kiamie. Coach Cornel added, “Even when missing players, even when feeling sick, everyone was always up to the task” He said, “This was truly a team accomplishment.”

Harvey finishes the season 10-2 and a perfect 9-0 in HVAL.

Article courtesy of The Harvey School.

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