Newsday’s annual look at the top singles and doubles players in Long Island high school girls tennis for the fall of 2025, listed in alphabetical order. All statistics are from last season unless otherwise noted.
Victoria Abayev, Copiague, Soph.
Abayev capped a 2024 season that saw her go 20-5 in singles by earning a spot on the Newsday All-Long Island second team. She reached the semifinals of the Suffolk Individual Championships.
Aleksa Brazyte, Connetquot, Jr.
After reaching the singles quarterfinals at the Suffolk Individual Championships two seasons in a row, Brazyte is poised to break into the county’s elite and make a run at qualifying for the state tournament. She was 17-3 in singles.
Lily Castka, Bayport-Blue Point, Jr.
The Newsday All-Long Island second team selection is a serious contender for the Suffolk individual singles title after helping BBP capture the Long Island small school team championship and reach the state title match. Her overall 23-3 record included a 5-0 mark in county and state team playoff matches.
Lynelle Chernavsky, Ward Melville, Sr.
Chernavsky primarily played singles a year ago but could play both singles and doubles this season. She was 11-3 in both singles and doubles in team play and went on to reach the Round of 16 at the Suffolk Individual Championships.
Lilliana Chou, Division, Soph.
The spotlight doesn’t land on many players competing in Nassau Conference III-B, but Chou was an exception last season. She was 10-0 (with one default) in team play and, when she faced Nassau’s best at the county individual championships, she reached the quarterfinals.
Lola Dangin, Ross, Soph.
Dangin helped lead the Ravens back to the Suffolk small school team championship match and reached the quarterfinal of the county individual singles championships to earn a second straight Newsday All-Long Island second team selection. She had a 16-2 record in singles play.
Diane Durante, Manhasset, Sr.
Durante returns to high school tennis for her senior season after several years of eschewing it to train and play national tournaments. She becomes the biggest wild card in a highly-competitive field for the county singles title.
Jenna Famolari, St. Anthony’s, Soph.
Famolari was instrumental in helping the Friars win their second straight state Catholic team championship and then went on to help win the doubles crown at the state Catholic individual championships. The Newsday All-Long Island selection was 19-1 in singles and doubles matches.
Chloe Gross, Roslyn, Jr.
Gross excelled in both singles and doubles to earn a spot on Newsday’s All-Long Island first team. Her 15-2 record in singles helped the Bulldogs reach the Nassau large school semifinals and she followed that as half of the doubles team that played in the title match at the county individual championships and took fifth place in the state tourney.
Kaitlynn Hanna (Sr.) and Sylvana Guariglia (Jr.), Cold Spring Harbor
Their play at doubles last postseason – though each with a different teammate – was key in Cold Spring Harbor capturing the Nassau small schools team championship. Hanna was 4-1 and Guariglia 7-5 as doubles players. This season they’ll make a formidable team.
Clockwise, from top left: Kaitlynn Hanna, Sylvana Guariglia, Emma Wilck, Samantha Heyman.
Samantha Heyman (Sr.) and Emma Wilck (Sr.), Half Hollow Hills East
The formidable duo returns after earning Newsday All-Long Island second team honors a year ago. They won 13 matches to help Hills East repeat as Suffolk large school team champion and took fourth place at the county individual championship tournament. Their season record was 20-6.
Christiana Kent (Jr.) and Shoriya Bhat-Bhandarkar (Jr.) Port Washington
The duo played a huge role for the doubles-centric Vikings as they reached the Nassau large school team championship match. They reached the quarterfinals in the county individual championships. Their record was 17-5.
Madison Lee, Great Neck South, Sr.
She earned her third Newsday All-Long Island selection – and second as a first teamer – by going 11-2 at singles in team play and then anchoring a doubles team that won the Nassau individual championship and played in the state championship match.
Brianna Lewis, Port Washington, Soph.
Lewis played first singles and helped the Vikings reach the Nassau large school team championship match before advancing to the quarterfinals in the county individual singles tournament. Competitive, and with great range, she was 12-7.
Brianna Lewis (top), Shoriya Bhat-Bhandarkar (bottom left), Christiana Kent (bottom middle), Madison Lee (bottom right).
Stephanie Marcheret, Syosset, Sr.
The 2023 Newsday All-Long Island second team selection missed major time in 2024 and never really played at 100% –Â Â though she did finish 5-3 and helped Syosset capture the Nassau large school team title and advance to the state championship match. At full strength, she should contend for the county singles title.
Sofia Matos, Longwood, Fr.
Matos authored a breakthrough season to earn a selection to the Newsday All-Long Island second team. She took third place in singles at the Suffolk Individual Championships and earned her first bid to the state tournament. She was 23-3.
Sofia Perez, Mount Sinai, Soph.
She earned a spot on the Newsday All-Long Island first team after an impressive run to the singles title match at the Suffolk Individual championships, and to the Sweet 16 in the state tournament. She was 22-5.
Clockwise, from left: Sofia Matos, Stephanie Marcheret, Christina Zhao, Sofia Perez.
Ashley Pursoo (Soph.) and Christina Zhao (Sr.), Half Hollow Hills East
While Pursoo is likely to be deployed at both singles and doubles in team play as Hills East looks for a third straight Suffolk large school team title, she is also the odds-on choice to be paired with the successful veteran Zhao in the county individual championships. Zhao was 18-4 in doubles, including 2-0 with Pursoo.
Dhriti Pylla, Jericho, Jr.
The younger sister of two-time Newsday All-Long Island second teamer Anish Pylla, she arrives for high school team tennis with plenty of potential and expectation. Pylla plays a strong mental game and is very good at ascertaining opponents’ weaknesses as a match unfolds.
Evie Romano (Jr.) and Eden Romano (8th Grade), Bayport-Blue Point
Eden Romano is the newest addition to the ongoing sister act for the Phantoms and joins two-time Newsday All-Long Island first teamer Evie. Evie and older sister Emilia were key cogs in BBP winning its first Long Island small school team title and went on to capture the Suffolk individual doubles championship and finish eighth in the state. Eden brings the pair a strong baseline game and  unshakable confidence.
Diya Varma (Soph.) and Selena Wang (Fr.), Syosset
Varma and Wang were a nearly unbeatable combo in team matches, going 12-1 as Syosset won the Nassau large school team title and advanced to the state championship match. They won a pair of matches at the county individual championships to make the quarterfinal round.
Gabrielle Villegas, Great Neck South, 8th Grade
She made perhaps the biggest splash on the Nassau tennis scene a year ago by going 13-1 at singles in team play to help GNS reach the team large school semis. Then, she was one half of the tandem that captured the county individual doubles title and made a run to the state doubles title match. She was a Newsday All-Long Island first team selection.
Clockwise, from top left: Diya Varma, Selena Wong, Lillen Weiss (left) and Luanna Carmo, Evie Romano, Gabrielle Villegas.
Lillien Weiss (Fr.) and Luanna Carmo (8th Grade), Ross
The duo was selected to the Newsday All-Long Island second team after helping Ross reach the Suffolk small schools championship match. They went on to take third in the county individual championships and qualify for the state tournament. They were 14-4.
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.