Bayport-Blue Point girls tennis makes an early statement against Westhampton
Phantoms’ Emilia Romano returns a serve during 6-1, 7-5 first singles win over Westhampton's Matilda Buchen on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. Credit: Bob Sorensen
After winning the last three Suffolk Small School titles, the Bayport-Blue Point girls tennis team has become synonymous with excellence in the county. This season the Phantoms have a belief they can take that rep beyond Route 110.
That belief got something tangible to reinforce it on Tuesday on the first day of the tennis season. Matched against a Westhampton team that was the Large School runner up in 2023 and is expected to again be a contender for that crown, Bayport-Blue Point posted a surprising and impressive 7-0 victory on its home courts.
Each of those three Suffolk titles was followed by a loss to the Nassau champion in the Long Island title match. With the state semifinals and championship matches moving this season to the National Tennis Center and home of this week’s U.S. Open, these Phantoms have an eye toward winning the Island and gaining entry to tennis’ hallowed grounds.
“This team is tired of going to the Long Island championship and coming up empty,” BBP coach John Selvaggio said.
Added Phantoms senior star Emilia Romano, “The goals for the season are always about the team and ‘state champions’ has a nice sound to it.”
Romano and Westhampton senior Matilda Buchen — both 2023 Newsday all-Long Island selections — were pitted at first singles in Tuesday’s match. Romano put the finishing touch on what proved the clincher with an overhead winner and a holler to complete a tough 6-1, 7-5 victory.
The hard-hitting Romano made quick work of the first set while Buchen, who paired with now-graduated Julia Stabile to win the 2023 state doubles title, struggled with her serve and gave away five points via double-faults. But Buchen won a slew of long points in the second set and then broke Romano in the 10h game while she was serving for the match.
“We know each other’s games really well and we’ve been in some tense matches before,” Romano said. “She is such a fighter. You have to be mentally tough to win.”
“(Romano) is a great player and my serve being on-and-off didn’t help,” Buchen said. “But I did make her work for it.”
Bayport-Blue Point has three new varsity players in its starting 11 and they all looked very much up to the test. Eighth-grader Jordana Heller won in straight sets at third singles while dropping only one game. And eighth-grader Leila Rogers and freshman Ella Little prevailed in straight sets at third doubles, dropping only two games.
“All the players we’ve added are really strong,” said sophomore Evie Romano, who teamed with senior Charlotte Volpe in a 6-2, 6-4 win at first doubles. “I knew we’d be good but we look even better than I expected.”
Phantoms sophomore Lily Castka prevailed in a battle with Westhampton freshman Ava Borruso at second singles, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1. The pairings of Denielle Oleksiak and Leah Richardt and Riley Lehmann and Juliana Kirby posted doubles wins to complete the sweep.
“We’ve been wanting to go to (the state semifinals) for a long time,” Volpe said, “and this year we think we have what it takes.”
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
