This Tuesday, Tenafly’s varsity girls tennis team defeated Northern Highlands 4-1 to secure victory in their bracket of the NJSIAA tournament. This achievement has been the latest match victory for the girls tennis team in the final week of their season.
Despite starting the season with five wins and five losses, the team—coached by Anthony Zorovich and led by captains Amelia Huang (’26), Samantha Cho (’26), and Michelle Lee (’26)—has enjoyed a winning streak that has extended to eight games with this latest victory in the finals bracket against Northern Highlands.
In the finals match, both Samantha Cho in 1st Singles and Michelle Lee in 3rd Singles were able to win against their respective opponents in extremely close matches that were decided in the third set. The 1st and 2nd Doubles Teams were also able to win smoothly after two sets, helping Tenafly secure the win.
Captain Michelle Lee admitted to the significance of the win against Northern Highlands in particular. “Losing to Northern Highlands in a regular season match back in September and then coming back to beat them in the section finals made that victory so much more special because of how far we came from the beginning of the season,” Lee said.
Lee also praised the coaching of Zorovich, who contributes to the upbeat spirit and close-knit community of the tennis team. He also encourages the team to keep trying and never give up. “The days leading up to our section final, he kept telling me that he believed I could win and that I just needed to play consistently,” Lee said.
Due to the high frequency of matches every week during the season, practice was a time to recuperate and prepare for the next competition. “Practice this year has been really fun. I think the friendly atmosphere really lets us practice efficiently while still enjoying it. I feel like this definitely has been showing in our matches,” Captain Samantha Cho said.
Nonetheless, the team still strives for improvement. “After each match, win or lose, we try to focus on what we could have done better,” Lee said.
Amelia Huang reflected on the progress that the team has made over the course of the season. “We kind of had a rocky start in the beginning of the season and we went against pretty strong schools,” Huang said. “However, we’ve been getting so much better in regards to skill and confidence and I think our team’s encouragement is a large factor. The team’s really close and we’ve all seen each other at our best and worst.”
The captains are all extremely optimistic about the future of the girls tennis team. “Even though three starters are graduating this year, I know that the team will be fine because we have so many underclassmen that play really well and have great attitudes on the court, like Anna, our second singles, who’s only a sophomore,” Lee said. “Also, I know Coach Zorovich always finds a way to pull through.”
Though the season has come to an end, the future of Tenafly girls tennis is as bright as ever.
