Wolfson Forces Tiebreaker in Pierson Tennis Team's Loss at Westhampton Beach

Molly Wolfson may have been down, but she never counted herself out.

The Pierson sophomore’s athleticism and consistency helped her come back from a 6-2 first-set loss to Westhampton Beach’s Riley Magner to win the second, 6-0, and force a tiebreak. Even down 2-0 to start, she stayed calm under pressure to tie it 2-2, and behind 5-2 remained strong to pull out a few more points in what was ultimately a 10-7 loss.

“It felt really good,” Wolfson said of being able to tough out the long rallies. “I just told myself I had a chance in this, and I mentally clawed through it. I knew if I played consistent, I could earn some of those points, and I did.”

First-year Pierson tennis team head coach Keegan Blaney touted his competitor’s steadiness.

“It was very impressive,” he said. “She’s able to keep the ball in and is also athletic enough to get to any ball on the court. Those two things combined definitely helped her in those later points.”

She was the only Pierson player to take her match past two sets in a 7-0 loss to the undefeated Hurricanes (12-0).

“Coming back in that second set really showed her resilience as a player,” Blaney said. “It was a tough loss in that tiebreaker, but it was nice to see her able to make that comeback. We knew coming in that Westhampton is a very tough team, so I’m proud of the way that they played.”

In its first season as an independent program — Pierson used to combine with East Hampton — the Whalers are 6-6, coming out on the losing side of some 5-2 matches.

“There’s a couple that I thought we could’ve won — it was close, and I thought maybe we should’ve come out on top — but overall, I’m very proud of the girls with this being our first season together,” the coach said. “We’re playing really well, and I’m happy with our score.”

He’s also glad to see each girl improving along the way.

“Every loss is an opportunity for us to learn, and I think even when we do lose, they’re getting better and learning and growing from each match,” Blaney said. “They pick up on some of the things their competition does well and incorporate it into their game.”

Pierson had four matches left, including one against Southampton on Tuesday, results of which were not available by press time. If Pierson wins two of its four contests, the Whalers will earn their first postseason berth into the Suffolk County team tournament.

“I think we can make playoffs,” Wolfson said.

Pierson travels to William Floyd on Friday, October 3, for a 4 p.m. match, hosts Central Islip on Saturday, October 4, at 9 a.m. and closes out the regular season at home against Babylon on Tuesday, October 7, at 4 p.m.

“There’s a couple of matches I think we could win,” Blaney said. “I’m excited to see what the rest of the season holds.”