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The Pierson girls tennis team. KEEGAN BLANEY
Pierson High School is putting forth its first varsity girls tennis team this season.
After forgoing competition last year after East Hampton announced its decision to solely allow Bonacker players on its team, the Whalers will be back on the courts.
“It is great to finally have a varsity program at Pierson,” head coach Keegan Blaney said. “Our seniors come with a lot of experience, and I will be leaning on them and the team captains for leadership.”
Team captains will be seniors Ally Cottrell and Sam Robinson. Other seniors include Chloe Tanner and Ilana Lerner. Juniors Kiera Martin, Lia Mizrahi and Lauren Silva, sophomores Madi Donahue, Antonia Vogel, Addison Wayne and Molly Wolfson, freshmen Eva Dagdeviren and Marji Hansen and eighth-grader Jade Glick round out the roster of 14.
“The strength of our team is our positive attitude,” Blaney said. “Even after a tough loss or if they are having an off day, they are always looking forward to the next match so they can try again. It is great to see that type of mental fortitude.”
Blaney graduated from Ward Melville High School in 2006, growing up in Stony Brook, and played lacrosse at Marist University.
“I had always enjoyed playing tennis, but I played lacrosse in college, so I did not have a lot of time to play,” the coach said. “But, once college was over, I found myself playing more often and have been playing since then.”
He’s been a teacher at Pierson High School since 2018, and started coaching at the middle school level in 2020.
“The athletic director at the time asked me to be an assistant coach because there were almost 40 players on the middle school team. I said yes, and I instantly loved it,” Blaney said. “So, I continued to coach middle school and was moved into the head coach position for middle school.”
He was offered the first junior varsity head coach position for the program in 2024, and accepted, before being asked to move up this season when it was decided the district could field a varsity group.
“I was interested in leading the team because I love coaching, and it’s awesome to see players improve their skills and get better throughout the season,” Blaney said. “Our goal is to make it to the county playoffs, and then anything can happen.”
Pierson kicked off the season on the road at Hampton Bays on Tuesday, results of which were not available by press time. The Whalers host Center Moriches on Thursday, September 4, at 4:30 p.m. before traveling to East Hampton on Friday, September 5, for a 4 p.m. match. Pierson plays at Riverhead next week on Monday, September 8, at 4 p.m., and hosts Mattituck on Tuesday, September 9, at 4 p.m.
