On Saturday, November 11, the Jericho High School Girls' Varsity Tennis Team made tennis history as they defeated Half Hollows Hills East 5-2 to win the Inaugural Long Island Tennis Team Championship.

Jericho carried plenty of momentum with them as they entered the match, coming off a second consecutive undefeated Nassau County Team Championship season (16-0) and extending their unbeaten streak to 32 matches. In addition, Meg Tyner and Michelle Stracar brought with them the experience of winning the state doubles title only 2 weeks ago. As Jericho's coach Colleen O'Connell so fittingly put it, "Playing under pressure was one thing that this team was well prepared to handle."

Jericho's opponent in the match, Half Hollow Hills East, also brought with them the experience of having played under pressure during the past two seasons. A perennial powerhouse in Suffolk County, they entered the Long Island Championships as a two time Suffolk County Team Champions. It was fitting that the two best teams on Long Island were able to meet and play for the title.

Playing under the format of 3 singles and 4 doubles matches, Jericho was able to pull off a convincing 5-2 victory. Singles winners Blair Seideman (6-0, 6-0 over Lindsey Garyn) and Meg Tyner (6-0, 6-1 over Melissa Feiner) gave Jericho an early lead that they would never relinquish. Closing out the match for Jericho were doubles winners Lauren Goldstein and Shelby Bates (6-4, 6-0 over Lauren Johnson and Taylor Freeman), Rebecca Gold and Stephanie Taxel (6-3, 6-4 over Amanda Capazzi and Ludmila Yamus), and sisters Kelsey and Sydney Werber (7-5, 5-7, 6-2 over Noreen Shaikh and Ilana Zacharia).

Next year, Nassau County will host the 2nd annual Long Island Championships. Until then, Jericho can bask in the glow of another resoundingly successful season.