East Hampton Girls Tennis Team Boasts Experience

The Bonackers girls tennis team could slam down a successful season behind nine returning players this year.

After losing just two seniors to graduation, first-year head coach Matthew Shimkus said he will be looking to the student-athletes he has coming back to set the tone.

“Fortunately, this year we have several returning players that I will look to for their leadership on and off the courts,” Shimkus said Monday. “Our seniors and juniors have been great so far with our varsity and junior varsity teams the past two weeks. The girls have done well, and have been working hard during the summer sessions. We are excited to start our match play this week.”

The team boasts a returning All-County competitor in Pierson junior Maya Molin, who finished fourth in Division IV tournament as a sophomore, but more than half of the Bonackers competed to represent their division last season. East Hampton senior Lyla Wilson and Pierson sophomore Audrey Monaco also contested in the singles draw, and Monaco’s older sister Rachel, a senior, East Hampton junior Caleigh Barletta and East Hampton sophomores Colleen McKee and Hailey Rigby challenged opponents in the doubles bracket.

“I’m looking forward to the season with them, and everyone is working really hard,” Molin said. “We lost a lot of good players from last year, but I think the girls that are playing this year will do well.”

Also back are Pierson’s senior Samantha Pillco and freshman Irina Kercheval. Newcomers to replace recent East Hampton graduate Lily Somers and Pierson graduate Riley Rosel include Mila Alfus, Amanda Ayala, Sienna Hummel, Riley Reville and Natalie Yellen.

“I have been pleasantly surprised with the whole team,” Shimkus said. “It is never easy coming into a season with a new coach, but this group has responded well. They practice each day looking to get better. They bring healthy competition to each other, which is great because it raises the bar for everyone.”

Molin said so many girls seeing competitive matches last season will prove beneficial to the Bonackers this time around. She, herself, went to IMG Academy, a tennis camp in Florida over the summer, and also spent the offseason working with former head coach Kevin McConville and teammate Audrey Monaco. Molin said she also plays tennis with her father.

“I’ve been working a lot on my backhand,” the junior said. “And I think I have really improved my serve and volleys.”

Shimkus said while the goal is to compete in the postseason each year, big picture, he wants the girls to strengthen their tennis skills while remaining competitive and having fun. The Bonackers kicked off the season at Southold/Greenport on Monday, and host Comsewogue next on Friday, September 8, at 4 p.m. to kick off a string of three nonleague contests. The team’s next League IV match will be Friday, September 15, at Center Moriches at 3:30 p.m.

“We will take each match one at a time and keep our focus sharp,” Shimkus said. “We are looking forward to building on last year’s successes, and it will be great to see them get better each day in practice and excel on the courts.”