Stabile Sisters Secure First Place In Suffolk County Doubles Tournament

Katelyn Stabile said on Saturday that it’s been a memorable season, but it’s not over yet.

That’s because at Smithtown East High School October 23, the Westhampton Beach senior and her younger sister, Julia, finished first in the Suffolk County doubles tournament with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 win over Patchogue-Medford’s Ally and Drea Pierro.

“It’s amazing. It almost doesn’t feel real,” the senior said. “I’m really proud of both of us.”

The Stabiles will represent Section XI in the state tournament held October 28, 29 and 30 at Sportime Schenectady.

“It feels really great to win because Katelyn and I have put in a lot of hard work to be in this position,” said Julia, a sophomore. “I think that Katelyn and I played really well throughout the tournament. We played some really good teams, but we were able to stay focused and determined.”

Hot off impressive landslides all the way to the Division IV final victory that earned the Stabiles a berth in the county tournament, the girls breezed through yet another bracket Friday and Saturday. They secured 6-0, 6-1; 6-0, 6-2; and 6-0, 6-1 wins to make it to the finals.

The older Stabile said she and her sister had time to scout their final opponents, and noticed they were very powerful and had strong serves.

“As the match got closer, we knew we couldn’t look too far ahead, and we just told ourselves to take it one point at a time,” Katelyn Stabile said. “But we did know of them because the girls were from Pat-Med, and we had played that school in regular-league matches. Julia and I had never played them before, but we had seen a few of their matches in counties and noticed they were very strong, and also had good doubles chemistry.”

That’s because the Stabiles were versing another pair of sisters.

“It was definitely challenging because as sisters they knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” Julia Stabile said. “They were solid players all around, but I thought that my sister and I had great communication and consistency on the court.”

Because the Pierros had strong serves, the Stabiles weren’t afraid to take a few steps back to be able to successfully return them. Especially with their experience as singles players the past few seasons, Katelyn and Julia felt comfortable at the baseline.

“We both knew our ground strokes needed to be solid, and our serves and volleys definitely helped us in some of the big points” Katelyn Stabile said. “The weather was tricky — it was a little chilly and rained on and off — but we made sure to not let the weather get in our heads and we pushed through, focusing extra hard.”

The Stabiles also started hitting deeper balls with more topspin.

“We helped each other through the points, always cheering and motivating each other,” Katelyn Stabile said. “This was our closest match, but even though the scores of the other matches weren’t as close, they were just as fun and competitive.”

Head coach Matt Reed said he was happy with how the sisters handled the pressure of potentially winning a county final.

“Naturally and understandably, they had some nerves at the beginning of the match — their communication early on in the match wasn’t to the level that it usually is — but once they settled in and started playing freely and playing their game, they weren’t going to lose,” he said. “Nothing was a given, which is evident in the close score line, but as the match went on, they were moving around the court beautifully. Katelyn and Julia have played doubles together for a long time, and toward the end of the match, they played to their strengths in closing time, which is not an easy thing to do as a match gets tight. Katelyn’s experience and leadership was a major help as well to get them over the finish line.”

Julia Stabile said the close score didn’t rattle them, either.

“We weren’t really that nervous because we knew that if we worked together and focused on the ball we would be a competitive team,” the sophomore said. “I’m very happy because all of our hard work and dedication has paid off.”

Westhampton Beach teammate Matilda Buchen, a freshman, also played a competitive singles tournament, continuing her successful, statement streak following a first-place Division IV finish. She bested her first and second-round opponents 6-1, 6-0 and 6-4, 6-4 before falling 6-1, 6-4 in the quarterfinal round.

“I’m happy that I made it here, because there were so many great players this year,” the freshman said. “I had a good attitude, so I was loose, and I played well. Playing well in the tournament against good players motivates me to continue working hard and to get better results next year.”

Reed said Buchen has taken a major step up in her level of play this year.

“She turned heads throughout divisions and in counties, and rightfully so,” the coach said. “One of her biggest weapons is her mental game. She stays completely focused and level-headed throughout the entire match, regardless of the score. Opponents struggle against her because of her consistency on the forehand and backhand side; not to mention the angles and power she has to go along with the consistency. Matilda is only going to continue to get better, which is a scary and very exciting thing considering how good she already is.”

She said she absorbed a lot from the competition this past weekend.

“I learned that the best way to play well is to not feel pressured to win,” Buchen said. “I am very proud of our team. We all work hard and support each other. Our team is not just about work, we also look forward to seeing each other and having fun. I hope our next season is as enjoyable as this one has been.”

Hurricanes Competed In The Quarterfinals

Westhampton Beach, the No. 2 seed, also advanced to the semifinals of the Suffolk County team tournament with a 6-1 win over Patchogue-Medford Monday.

“I couldn’t be more proud of my girls and how they’ve played, grown and come together as a team. It’s been a fun and exciting first year as the varsity coach, and I’ve been soaking it all in, and loving every second of it,” Reed said. “I’m very happy with how they all played. They’re making the strategic changes mid-match that I’m coaching them through. The girls have been willing to change tactics in order to get the result we want. I feel very confident moving forward, and we are ready to bring our ‘A’ game to whatever team we verse next.”

The Hurricanes (14-1 overall, 12-1 in Division IV) bested Middle Country in the first round, 6-1, October 20.

“I believe that we are very solid and should do very well,” Katelyn Stabile said following that win. “We are super excited to play and show off all our hard work.”

The Hurricanes will rematch No. 1 William Floyd on the road Monday, November 1, at 2 p.m. The Colonials handed Westhampton Beach its only loss of the season, 4-3, on the road September 21.

“I think we’re going to do really well in the team tournament,” Julia Stabile said. “Our team is really motivated to succeed.”