29 Photos
Junior Molly Wolfson. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Junior Molly Wolfson. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Senior Ilana Lerner. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Senior Ilana Lerner. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Senior Ilana Lerner. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Senior Ilana Lerner. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Senior Ilana Lerner. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Senior Ilana Lerner. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Senior Ilana Lerner. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Senior Ilana Lerner. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Senior Ilana Lerner. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Senior Ilana Lerner. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Junior Molly Wolfson. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Junior Molly Wolfson. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Junior Molly Wolfson. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Junior Molly Wolfson.DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Junior Molly Wolfson.DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Junior Molly Wolfson. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Junior Molly Wolfson. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Senior Sam Robinson. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Senior Sam Robinson. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Senior Sam Robinson. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Senior Sam Robinson. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Senior Sam Robinson. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Senior Sam Robinson. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Senior Sam Robinson. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Senior Sam Robinson. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Senior Sam Robinson. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
Senior Sam Robinson. DESIRÉE KEEGAN
For Molly Wolfson, revenge was sweetened with a spot in the Suffolk County championship.
And for the Pierson sophomore’s first time competing in the Division IV tennis tournament, the No. 5 seed not only reached the semifinals, she won her consolation match, 6-2, 6-3, over William Floyd’s Gianna Martin on Tuesday to finish third.
“I’m very proud of myself to be in this position,” Wolfson said. “I didn’t think I was going to make it this far.”
To get to the semifinals, the sophomore earned a 6-4, 7-5 win over East Hampton senior Hailey Rigby, the No. 4 seed entering the tournament, who had bested Wolfson in a matchup between the two teams during the regular season. The sophomore said she took notes.
“I didn’t play well against her — at all — so I wanted to get my revenge,” Wolfson said, laughing. “She has a great cross-court forehand, so I wanted to get over on that.”
With both opponents consistent at the baseline, Rigby switched things up midway through the match to make Wolfson dance across and court and force her to come to the net. It worked in the senior’s favor for some points, but Wolfson perfectly placed multiple lobs for others. The sophomore, who is a basketball player, also had the speed and endurance for some big returns, some of which resulted in Rigby volleys that didn’t make it back over.
“That definitely helps her quickness,” head coach Keegan Blaney said of Wolfson being a multi-sport athlete. “She’s able to get to almost every ball. There were a couple of these incredible gets that made me turn to her and ask how she did that. It was amazing.”
He was also happy to see Wolfson get the rematch she wanted.
“Molly has improved a lot since then. She went above and beyond,” Blaney said. “Hailey is an awesome competitor, but Molly was really going for everything and leaving it all out on the court.”
The coach said he continued to tell Wolfson to stick to her game.
“She is very consistent and she plays long points, and I think that eventually wears down on some players,” Blaney said. “She was in it the whole time. Her competitiveness was really showing — she was fighting for every single point.”
Wolfson blanked William Floyd’s Emma Hogson in the first round and Rigby’s teammate, junior Molly Stillman, 6-0, 6-1, the next, before taking on Rigby. She was shut out, 6-0, 6-0, by Ross’s No.1-seeded Brooke Saracco in the semifinals.
“I’m super proud of her,” Blaney said. “And an All-County distinction is huge for the first year of the program.”
While Wolfson didn’t play Martin during the regular season, her teammate did.
“I was able to watch her play and learned what to expect,” Wolfson said. “But she switched up her game during the match and adjusted her slice, so I had to adjust mine and slice it back.”
Pierson, in its first year as an independent program — the Whalers competed under a joint team with East Hampton up until last year — qualified nearly half its starting lineup for the Division IV tournament, but also earned a spot in the Suffolk County team tournament. The No. 8 Whalers traveled to No. 1 Ross on Wednesday, but results were not available by press time.
Seniors Illana Lerner and Sam Robinson also competed in the singles draw Friday, with Lerner dropping a close 4-6, 6-3, 2-6 first-round match to Southold’s Connie Benson and Robinson topped Hampton Bays’ Sofia Klajn, 6-0, 6-2, before falling to Saracco, 6-0, 6-0.
Seniors Ally Cottrell and Chloe Tanner took part in the doubles tournament, also matched up against the No. 1 seed in Ross’s Lola Dangin and Lillie Weiss, falling 6-0, 6-0.
Wolfson will compete in the Suffolk County singles tournament beginning on Saturday, October 18, at Smithtown East High School at 9 a.m.
“It feels great,” Wolfson said of earning a bid. “I’m glad I get to represent our school.”
