The Rye Girls Varsity Tennis team is already 1-1 in the 2025 season, but their most intriguing and exciting matchups are still yet to come. The Garnets finished 2024 at 10-5, a strong result, but will be looking to do even better one year later, especially against a particular opponent.
“Last year we lost to Scarsdale three times – twice during the season and in the Section semifinal,” Head Coach Tony Campbell told MyRye.com on September 5. “We played them better each time. It was a good mark of our progress. We’ll be looking forward to seeing how we do against them this year.”
This time around, the Garnets will be without several of their key seniors, but Campbell believes the returners, plus an influx of youthful talent, could be enough to put Rye over the top in the Power League. “Although we lost a bunch of seniors at the top of our ladder, all of our younger players have improved with some quality new arrivals,” Campbell said.
The Garnets are expected to be in fierce competition with the Raiders and with Horace Greeley, the other powerhouse in the Power League, for the entire fall season. They are looking to avenge a sectional semifinal loss to Scarsdale last year and a season-opening defeat to the Quakers from September 2 of this year.
Leading the way for Rye are four senior captains – Lana Andikyan and Tori Hobbins, both Varsity 1 returners, and two fresh faces from the Varsity 2 team. “We have a good-sized team with a range of players both returning and new and the group will help the team stay connected throughout,” Campbell told MyRye.com. The head coach predicts roster turnover will not prevent them from competing at the top of the section, thanks in large part to the captains’ leadership.
Besides the talented rivals, Campbell pointed to an important tournament on the team’s calendar in October – the Georgia Williams Memorial Scholarship tournament. The event, which Rye participates in annually, raises money for a scholarship in Williams’ name.
“Williams was a beloved English teacher at Nyack High School who passed away due to [breast cancer],” Campbell told MyRye.com. “We’ll be competing, again, in an excellent breast cancer awareness event in early October hosted by Nyack High School at the Nyack Field Club… It’s a fun full day of tennis played in a different format with typically four or five schools participating.”
The Garnets were the first athletic team to begin play this September, and will continue to have matches both on the road and at home at Rye Recreation. Their next matchup is tomorrow, Tuesday September 9, 2025, against the dreaded Scarsdale Raiders. The match begins at 4:30pm as Rye searches for an early signature away win.
