Lynbrook nets a dozen victories

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As coach of Lynbrook’s Middle School girls’ tennis program, Shari Bowes had a pretty good idea of the talent level coming up to the varsity courts for 2015. 

However, with only one senior and five freshmen in the starting lineup, she never envisioned the Lady Owls winning 12 of 14 matches and qualifying for the Nassau County playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade.

“I knew we had talented and competitive kids,” Bowes said. “They did things off the court that helped them bond as a team. We’re very young, but we have a couple of great senior role models and I could see everyone’s confidence grow after the first few matches.”

Lynbrook finished runner-up to undefeated Hewlett in Conference II-B. The Lady Owls reeled off 11 straight victories before falling 5-2 to the Lady Bulldogs in the regular-season finale on Oct. 14. A few positives came from the defeat, Bowes said. Freshman Jade Fixon-Owoo avenged her only loss of the season at No. 2 singles, and the No. 1 doubles tandem of sophomore Elizabeth Perespiper and freshman Sydney Travis turned the table on Hewlett’s top pair.

Transitioning from the soccer pitch to the court was a natural one for Fixon-Owoo, who along with her older sister Arianna, Lynbrook’s No. 1 for the past two years, began swinging a tennis racquet at a young age. Powerful ground strokes and a strong serve helped Jade compile a 13-1 record. Arianna, a junior, won nine matches. “Arianna has amazing placement with her shots and reads her opponents really well,” Bowes said. “She knows when to rally and when to attack the net.”

Senior Brianna Lombardo, who played doubles for two seasons, moved up to third singles and enjoyed her share of success with a 7-7 mark. “She’s a calm player who covers a lot of court,” Bowes said. “She’s also an excellent leader.”

Lombardo and senior Kaela Rothstein, a fixture in the program for six years, served as Lynbrook’s captains. “We couldn’t have gone this far without them,” Bowes said. 

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