Westhampton Beach Tennis Standouts Looking To Make Deeper Postseason Pushes

It seems Bobby Stabile can adapt to playing with anyone.

No matter who partners with the Westhampton Beach tennis standout, the junior and that teammate have earned the division title and made huge strides in the county tournament.

“Bobby is a very easy-going person, and his success with different partners shows where his skill level is at, and his ability to gain chemistry with a different doubles partner,” head coach Matt Reed said. “I feel great entering into the season, and am very excited.”

So is Stabile, who said he is also confident in what his Hurricanes can do. Last year, the junior won the Division IV title and made it to the county quarterfinals with then-senior Sandro Volpe. Prior to that, he earned the division title and a first-round win at counties with Andre Insalaco, though the pair ended up deferring because Insalaco had a soccer showcase that same weekend.

“We have a hard-working team, and I think that we can pull off some big wins this year,” Stabile said. “I am not sure [who my partner will be] yet, but I have an idea who it can be, and the potential we have. I am looking for someone I can play the rest of my high school career with.”

The junior has been training with his sisters Katelyn and Julia and coaches at Sportime in Quogue in the offseason, focusing on his serve and volleys at the net.

“I have gotten a lot stronger since last year,” Stabile said. “I’m hoping I can make a deep run in the county doubles tournament.”

He said getting used to playing with a different teammate each season has been challenging, but said thankfully, it’s something he’s not unfamiliar with.

“No matter who it is, once we start clicking with each other, we are hard to stop,” Stabile said. “My partners and I have always had great communication, and we always talk after our matches on the things we did well and the things we needed to work on. I think if my partner and I work on our communication and strategy, we will be hard to beat.”

Also returning to the team is senior captain Gavin Vander Schaaf, who edged East Hampton freshman Jagger Cohen in the division singles consolation finals to take third place last year. He also earned a county championship berth the last two seasons, after finishing in the Top 8 in Division IV as a sophomore.

“Gavin is the epitome of a captain and leader — both with his game on the court, and his communication skills during practice, during matches and in the offseason.” Reed said. “I do expect big things from him and Bobby Stabile again this year. They’re both very skilled and have had a lot of success.”

Vander Schaaf said he’s also been working on his serve — hoping to reach his seventh-grade goal of hitting 120 mph — but also his mentality.

“I’m almost there, with 119 mph being my record, and I’m planning on it being my biggest weapon in tough matches,” the senior said. “I think a stronger mentality is also something any tennis player can agree is one of the most important aspects of your game.”

Vander Schaaf is also hoping to make a deeper run in the individual county tournament.

“I feel like I’ve improved pretty significantly,” he said. “This past summer, I trained about 25 hours per week and I’ve seen some big differences in my game. It is definitely going to be a special season for me.”

Also returning is Giancarlo Volpe, Sandro’s younger brother, who is a sophomore; junior Theo Grellet-Aumont, who made it out of the first round of the division tournament last year; seniors Christian Gladd and Ashton Lundborg; and sophomore Alessandro Imundi.

“I genuinely think each of us returning seven have improved a lot since last season, especially Bobby, Giancarlo and Theo,” Vander Schaaf said. “They were at the top of the lineup last year, and are very strong, reliable players, and I can already see they’re going be strong contenders this year.”

Reed said one of his goals is to see more individuals make it to the county tournaments.

“For the returning players, I’ve been very happy with their progress throughout last season and during our winter sessions,” Reed said. “And the underclassmen have shown me confidence and their abilities throughout the offseason and during tryouts.”

Young new Hurricanes include freshmen Zach Berger, a golf standout, Bryce Groth and Robert Schumacher; eighth-grader Emmanuel Gomez; sophomore Matt Moran; and senior Liam Greiner.

“There is a nice mix of returning players and new varsity players, which should work very nicely,” Reed said. “I also hope and do expect us to make it to the team tournament again this year, but we just need to take it one match at a time and do our best each match.”

The coach said he expects Vander Schaaf to take the younger players under his wing and help him teach the boys what he’s looking for at this level.

“Bryce Groth, Manny Gomez and Liam Greiner have already stood out,” Vander Schaaf said. “Bryce has a great serve, solid strokes and a stable mental game — I’m looking forward to seeing how he progresses over the next few years. Manny, being the youngest on the team, is probably feeling a lot of pressure, but he’s been playing great in practices and has some of the nicest strokes on the team. Liam made the team this year after working hard since his last season on junior varsity, and it’s always exciting to have another senior on the team to serve as a mentor for the younger guys.”

Reed said he has an idea of what the lineup will look like, but needs more time to see who is best paired with who on doubles.

“There are definitely some very good teams out there, but I think overall we will have a very successful season,” the coach said. “And to me, a successful season is not only looking at wins versus losses, but the camaraderie created between the entire team.”

Having so much young talent also excites him as he builds on the team for seasons to come.

“I definitely look forward to the many years I’ll have with the younger players to see their growth in the sport, as well as their personal growth,” Reed said. “One of my many goals by the end of the tennis season, as well as by the end of their high school careers, is to do my best to show them that having integrity, being reliable and becoming leaders are characteristics that will serve them very well in all facets of life.”