Kati and Kami Cotek help Cold Spring Harbor retain Long Island small schools girls tennis championship
Kati Cotek, Cold Spring Harbor, volleys during the Long Island small school girls tennis final between Cold Spring Harbor and Bayport-Blue Point on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. Credit: Neil Miller
Two years ago, the Cold Spring Harbor girls tennis team had never seen the court at the Long Island Championship. Now, they are back-to-back title holders.
The Seahawks defeated Bayport-Blue Point 4-1 at Syosset High School in the Long Island Championship of small schools on Tuesday.
“It just feels fantastic,” coach Melissa McLees said. “We knew this was going to be a big challenge for us, but everyone played their hearts out.”
Kati Cotek won second singles 6-0, 6-0, and sister Kami Cotek won third singles 6-0, 6-1 over Ava Duras giving Cold Spring Harbor two victories early on.
“They came out today, and I’ve never seen them play like that,” McLees said.
Kati, the only senior starter, said she played her best match of the season against the Phantoms' Lily Castka.
“I don’t know if it’s the adrenaline of the Long Island Championships, but I felt really good on the court. I was aggressive and I was able to make angled shots,” Kati said.
After Emilia Romano of Bayport-Blue Point defeated Brooke Winthrop 6-3, 6-2, it was all eyes on the doubles court.
“I knew it would all come down to the doubles,” McLees said. “We started off strong, and then, things started to get real.”
It was sophomore second doubles duo Dylan Savarese and Stevie Sullivan who were able to clinch the championship title for the Seahawks, defeating Danielle Oleksiak and Leah Richardt.
“There was a lot of pressure on us, but that made it even more of an exciting win,” Savarese said.
They won their first set 6-1, but fell to Phantoms 6-2 in the second, and managed to bring it back 6-2 in the third for the match win.
“After winning the first set, we kind of took a step back, but they [Bayport-Blue Point] were warmed up and ready in the second, so in the third we came back and knew we needed to play as hard as we could to win it,” Sullivan said.
The Seahawks now have their sights set on the state championship, a title they just missed last season after falling to the defending champion Bryam Hills 4-1.
McLees says their experience already playing at the USTA BJK National Tennis Center and the team’s shift in energy this year was the difference in them earning the title this season.
"Last year we were definitely overwhelmed by the venue — it's huge — but this time [we didn't] let it get to us," McLees said.
