Westhampton Beach’s Bobby Stabile, Giancarlo Volpe Reach State Doubles Quarterfinals

It seems that Bobby Stabile has finally met his match. And, no, not an opponent, because the Westhampton Beach junior is used to trouncing those as a member of the boys tennis team, but a doubles partner he can grow his game with.

And after he and sophomore Giancarlo Volpe reached the quarterfinals of the state doubles tournament at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing this weekend, it’s safe to say the ceiling for the pair is very high.

“Giancarlo and I really wanted to take advantage of the opportunity and try to get as far as possible,” Stabile said. “I think we have the potential to make it even further with even more time playing with each other.”

Volpe and Stabile, who has played with a different doubles partner, including Volpe’s older brother Sandro, in each of the last three seasons for the Hurricanes, bounced back from dropping the first set to win their opening match against Shaker High School senior Roshan Mehta and junior Abhinav Thati, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

“Bobby and I were pretty shocked, and relieved, because we both didn’t think we were going to make it past the first day,” Volpe said. “We were really nervous, and I was beyond nauseous, so that first match was probably the toughest one I’ve ever played.”

The sophomore said he hadn’t eaten anything in the 12 hours prior, so he had zero energy to run off of. The level of competition was also new to Volpe, who had to shake off some similar anxieties right before he and Stabile competed in the Suffolk County final, where they fell, 7-5, 6-1, to Ward Melville’s Gabe Bursztyn and Shashank Pennabadi.

“Winning that first match definitely boosted our confidence and helped us to know that we can have some close matches with some of the best teams in the state,” Stabile said. “I think that being aggressive at the net led to some quick and easy points.”

Volpe said his stomach and his game benefited from the win, as he and Stabile went on to best Pittsford Sutherland’s freshmen pair of Sathya Mandava and Cormac Sullivan, 6-1, 6-2, in the Round of 16 for a spot in the quarterfinals.

“After we won, I felt like I could overcome anything. For a time, I felt like I was unstoppable,” the sophomore said. “Bobby’s serve was on fire the entire tournament, and my backhand was really pulling through when I had the chance to hit it. Bobby’s volleys were also very clean, as usual, and definitely helped us get the win.”

The pair continued to fight, but fell to state finalists Matthew Wallis and Jason Wei — seniors out of Horace Greeley High School — before losing in their consolation match, 2-6, 6-4, 4-6, to Byram Hills seniors Jesse Goldstein and Mihir Kumar, who placed fifth.

“I am so proud of the way they battled the whole weekend against incredibly good teams,” said head coach Matt Reed. “In their first season playing doubles in the individual tournament together, they had a great run. Just qualifying for the state tournament is impressive, but going on and winning two matches at the state level to reach the quarterfinals is an amazing accomplishment.”

Volpe said he couldn’t ask for a better teammate, whom he’s learned so much from, and who has already helped him grow into a stronger, more self-assured player.

“Bobby is the perfect doubles partner because he never pressures you, he won’t get mad at you when you miss a ball and he is always going with the flow. And that’s my favorite part about working with him,” he said. “To play these amazing players on the courts where the pros play was super eye-opening, and definitely was proof to myself that I can achieve anything I set my mind to.”

Stabile said the extra time together has already paid dividends.

“I think this helped our communication a lot,” the junior said. “It feels good to know that I am going to have the same partner, so together we can work on both our strengths and our weakness to make us even more ready for next year. It definitely feels amazing that all the work you put in pays off, and I have one year left, so I am looking to make that the best year of my high school tennis career.”

Reed said he’s anxiously awaiting to see what the pair can do.

“They are so hardworking, respectful and talented, and have been a privilege to coach,” he said. “They have made so much progress as a doubles team, and I look forward to seeing them build on their success next year.”

The sophomore added the opportunity brought all three of them closer together.

“I think this definitely formed a bond that we wouldn’t have if we didn’t make it to states, and I’m very grateful for that,” Volpe said. “This was probably the most exciting experience of my life so far, and between now and next season there is so much time to improve. So, when we come back, we’ll be even stronger.”