Last season the New Paltz girls tennis team made the jump from good to very good indeed with an 8-1 record -- losing only to MHAL champ Spackenkill (a yearly ritual) -- and this year are looking to make the big jump and capture their first-ever MHAL title. Losing just third singles Meghan Thomas and second doubles Olivia Scalise to graduation, the Huguenots return first singles, junior Jessica Staub; third singles, senior Johanna Cohen; and second singles, senior Emma Snook -- who played at first doubles last season.

Also back on the court are seniors Gina Abrams and Nicole Kurek; juniors Eliana Correll, Giovanna Varuzza and Lauren Kossover; sophomore Aliyah Cohn, freshmen Alice Lee, Jackie Cordovano and Liana Glaser; and eighth-grader Julia Cohen, Johanna’s sister and second doubles partner of the departed Scalise. All are vying for the four doubles spots.

“Everybody moved up talent-wise and we have a lot more competition all the way through the lineup,” said coach Scott Taylor, in his second year back in his second tour as girls coach. “And with all the good younger players we have we should have a powerful team into the future.”

And Scott mentions Staub as a challenger for the individual MHAL title, not won by a New Paltz player since Katie Ott some 15 years ago. “She played 4-4 with Haber (Wallkill’s Ariel, who won the league crown) in the MHAL’s before losing, so she can hit with these girls. She just has to believe in herself.” But as usual, the team championship will go through Spackenkill, whom the Huguenots face on Monday, Sept. 13 (too late for this edition of the New Paltz Times).

For Highland girls tennis, 3-8 last season, “we are a work in progress,” said coach Chris Sgro. Losing number one singles Keri Robinson and first doubles Amber Koester makes them so, but the Huskies return senior Stefanie Turk (bumped up to number one with Robinson’s graduation), sophomore second singles Gabby Lichtenstein, and senior third singles Rebecca Jacobini. Back again, this time as first doubles are juniors Amy Jacobini and Vanessa Robinson. Second doubles is up for grabs between senior Cailen Lent, junior Isabel Lewis and sophomores Sara Bennett, Lauren Fleming, Sydney Lutz and Nicole Bellacicco. Newcomers are: sophomores Kathryn Bender, Adriene Dedrick and freshman Priyanka Dongare.

“We’re hurting with the loss of Robinson and Koster, but the rest have made great progress and are really motivated to improve upon last season’s record. I’m shooting for a .500 or better season right now. We’re very young,” said Sgro, “so improvements could be dramatic.”

Highland began the season on Friday, dropping a 4-1 decision to Marlboro, with only Lichtenstein victorious with a 6-3, 7-5 win at second singles over the Dukes Eliza Shillitoe.

---

SportsWeek

Thursday, Sept. 16: NEW PALTZ FOOTBALL (2-0) at Onteora at 4 p.m.; HIGHLAND FOOTBALL (0-2) at Red Hook at 4 p.m.; NEW PALTZ VOLLEYBALL (1-2) at Red Hook at 5 p.m.; Wallkill at NEW PALTZ GIRLS SOCCER (0-0) at 4 p.m.; NEW PALTZ SWIMMING (0-1) at Warwick at 4:30 p.m.; Coleman at HIGHLAND GIRLS SOCCER (0-0) at 4 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 17: Wallkill at NEW PALTZ BOYS SOCCER (1-1) at 3:30 p.m.; Red Hook at NEW PALTZ TENNIS (0-0) at 3:30 p.m.; HIGHLAND BOYS SOCCER (0-0-1) at Coleman at 4 p.m.; HIGHLAND TENNIS (0-1) at Wallkill at 4 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 20: Millbrook at NEW PALTZ BOYS SOCCER at 4 p.m.; NEW PALTZ TENNIS at Onteora at 4 p.m.; Burke at HIGHLAND GIRLS SOCCER at 4 p.m.; HIGHLAND BOYS SOCCER at Wallkill at 4 p.m.; Coleman at HIGHLAND TENNIS at 4 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 21: NEW PALTZ VOLLEYBALL at Onteora at 4 p.m.; NEW PALTZ GIRLS SOCCER at Saugerties at 4 p.m.; FDR at NEW PALTZ SWIMMING at SUNY at 4 p.m.; Webutuck at HIGHLAND GIRLS SOCCER at 4 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 22: NEW PALTZ BOYS SOCCER at Saugerties at 4 p.m.; NEW PALTZ TENNIS at Wallkill at 4 p.m.; Webutuck at HIGHLAND BOYS SOCCER at 4 p.m.; HIGHLAND TENNIS at Ellenville at 4 p.m.