The East Hampton High School tennis courts looked like the site of a birthday party on Saturday morning. There were bagels and doughnuts, gift bags and decorations. The girls varsity tennis team was gathered in a circle on the grass, laughing and celebrating the seniors after beating Longwood 6-1 in their final home match. The sun was shining, and the fall air carried a gentle breeze. By all accounts, it was a perfect morning, then Todd Gulluscio, the district’s athletic director, came out of his office with some news.
“I made a call to the sports chair to confirm what I suspected, with everyone having one loss at the top — us, Westhampton, and William Floyd — that we were going to be co-conference champions,” he said. “That totally brings joy to my day. They’ve worked so hard all year and they deserve it. They’ve been a pleasure to watch. Congratulations to them and their coach. Looking forward to a great postseason for them.”
The team hadn’t realized they were perched atop the conference. Technical errors with the online standings had muddled the results, but that quick call confirmed what their attentive athletic director had suspected — with an 8-1 league record and 9-2 overall — Bonac had earned a three-way-tie for the conference title.
It’s an incredible feat for a team that was without a head coach just weeks before the start of the season. Pablo Montesi stepped down for personal reasons. Krista Brooks, the junior varsity coach, stepped up. And this group of girls, deeply connected and supportive of one another, didn’t miss a beat.
“It is really a testament to their work. To watch them — and I’ve seen them out there every day, they’re right outside my office. It’s to their credit — to Coach Brooks and all the girls. They’re such a cohesive group, which makes a big difference and you see that with successful teams. They enjoy their time together. You can see it just in the way they interact together,” Gulluscio added.
Ella Menu and Ava Mintz, the senior captains, who play first singles and first doubles, respectively, said this will be a tough team to leave.
“It was great. It’s fun leading the girls. They are the best team ever, the best teammates I could ever ask for. We’ve become so close too because a lot of us have all been on the team for the same number of years,” Mintz said.
“I love my team so much. I love all of the girls. They’re some of my best friends,” Menu added.
Menu has played tennis at the high school all four years and has been part of the varsity team for the last three. This season, she moved from doubles to first singles, not an easy move to make, but she embraced the challenge. Win or lose, playing tennis, she said, is her favorite part of the day.
“It’s a completely different game. But I was happy to be playing singles again,” she said. “I think doubles is more fun, but I think I’m better at playing singles. I think I just like my baseline game more.”
Menu was the only Bonacker to lose in the Longwood match, falling to Sofia Matos, a sophomore who took second place in the Suffolk County tournament last year, took third in the individual county championships, and was named one of the top 30 tennis players on Long Island. Menu took it all in stride.
“When you play somebody who is better than you, you play up to their level. So when you play somebody who is better and you get that challenge, you learn from it, and you become a better hitter,” she said. “I think my serve has gotten much better this season. I think it’s much more consistent, and my second serve, I can rely on now.”
And that serve has some power. Coach Brooks said it’s the fastest on the team, clocking in at 77 miles per hour. In her senior remarks, Brooks praised Menu for her skill and her leadership.
“She works hard and never stops trying. Going from doubles to first singles is an amazing accomplishment,” Brooks said. “Together, our captains, Ella and Ava, bring a big heart and a strong dedication to the team. They were very supportive. They were good leaders, they were good mentors. They were everything a good captain should be. They rocked it.”
Mintz and her doubles partner, Bunny Waserstein — also a senior — won their match 6-2, 6-0.
Brooks called Mintz their senior leader, and Waserstein their best source of laughter.
“Bunny Waserstein is our senior, who brings a lot, and I mean a lot of laughter and entertainment to a serious and sometimes intense tennis season. Although laughter is the best medicine, I have been amazed by her strong forehand and her ability to bring an intenseness to her matches,” she said. “Ava is hard-working and super dedicated. She never ever gives up. She is always willing to do more. She has shown in first doubles all season her solid ground strokes, her ability to communicate with her partner, play hard, and be intense at the net.”
Molly Stillman was the winningest senior of the bunch, undefeated this season at third singles.
“I had an awesome season so far. The tennis team is one of my favorite parts of the school year. I think it’s amazing for school-life balance as well. It’s so helpful for staying motivated throughout the school year, and keeping busy, but also it’s good for my physical health and mental health,” Stillman said. “Every person I’ve played has played very similar to me and has forced me to be a more aggressive player and has challenged my playing style.”
Coach Brooks was impressed with Stillman’s consistency and kindness. “Her long volleys, consistency of always, always returning everything, and her never-give-up approach,” she said. “I am also impressed how friendly and considerate she is to her opponents, and how she learns something about each one of them.”
At third doubles, Claire Dorn rounds out the team’s seniors. She and Gila Minkow won their match 6-2, 6-0. Coach Brooks called Dorn the team’s most flexible senior.
“She has played with several different partners and always plays a strong game. Her ability to adjust and enjoy the matches is wonderful to see.”
While the team will lose a talented group of seniors, their season is far from over. Individual competition starts this weekend, with matches Saturday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. They will also play in the team tournament.
Mintz thinks the team just might continue to surprise people with its talent in the playoffs.
“We’re good and I feel like a lot of people don’t really know how good we are,” she said. “Every year since I’ve been on the team we’ve made it to the playoffs, we’ve gone to individuals, at least one or two of us are at counties.”
“They are really good,” Brooks said. “They’ve been working at it and they play hard. We’ll see where it goes from here.”
