Portledge girls tennis dropped an IPPSAL match to Kew Forest today, 5 - 0.  Losing effprts in all three singles matches saw, Sophia Barnard '13, Julia Khan '15, and Sarah Sklar '15 giving it their all.  Sophia lost 8 - 4 against a highly ranked player; Julia, in her first Portledge match, lost 8 - 1 to an experienced senior; and Sklar lost 8 - 3 to another experienced player.  In fact, all three Kew girls, as well as two doubles players, had played on the coed Kew tennis team last spring.  Those Kew doubles opponents outdueled our girls, 8-6 in first doubles and 8 - 1 in second doubles.  With co-captain Jessie Sarkis '12 out with an injured ankle, young Dasha Dlin '17 filled in with Lisa Dourmashkin '12 in a 1st doubles match that saw the Portledge duo come back from being 5 - 1 down, to tie the score at 6 games each, only to drop the next two.  Also in second doubles, newcomers Eve Shapiro '13 and Leah Zafra '16 struggled in vain.  Experience is the best teacher for these young Panthers.  Just wait til the rematch is their cry.

The decisive win over Knox School in girls tennis brings Portledge back to .500 as the Panthers seek to repeat as league champions.  All matches were 8 - 0 wins with Julia Khan '15 winning her first Portledge match at 1st singles.  Second singles went to Dasha Dlin '17, 3rd singles to third Leah Zafra '16.  In doubles, Jessie Sarkis '12, returning from a week's injury, teamed with Rachael Scheinman '12 to win 8 -0.  Winding up the day, Danielle Litwak '13 and Sara Sklar '15 won, 8 - 0.  The next match, Tuesday, September 20, is a makeup of a rainout vs. Dwight School.

Portledge tennis lassies defeated Martin Luther in an IPPSAL match on Monday, Sept. 26, winning every match by 8 - 0 scores until the final doubles match, which the Panters won 8 - 3.  At first singles, Co-Captain Jessie Sarkis '12 won, as did Danielle Litwak '13 and Leah Zafra '16 at second ant third singles, respectively.  At first doubles, Eve Shapiro '13 and Rachael Scheinman '12 sent their opponents hom socreless.  At second doubles, Mirella Nappi '12 and Margeaux Bull '12 iced the cake.  This was a debut for Bull who came to Paortledge this year from the American Axchool in Amsterdam and picked up tennis fast.  Tomorrow's match agains Staten Island Academy at home should be a thriller.

     Portledge girls tennis lost a tough match against Staten Island Academy today, 4 - 1.  The lone winner, Co-Captain Jessie Sarkis '12, defeated her opponent 6 - 1, 6 - 2 at third singles.  Other Portledge players were not so succeessful.  Julia Khan '15 lost at first singles, 6 - 1, 6 - 2 and Dasha Dlin '17 lost at second singles 6 - 2, 6 - 0.  In doubles, Sarah Sklar '15 and Leah Zafra'16  lost 6 - 1, 6 - 3, and Lanie Gahagan '13 and Eve Shapiro '13 lost at second doubles, 6 -3, 6- 1.  Portledge will face Staten Island again next week, promising a better outcome.  The girls' record is now 2 - 2.

Girls tennis beat a tough Dwight team, 3-2, on Tuesday, October 4.  First singles saw a comeback by Co-Captain Jessie Sarkis '12 almost nip her Dwight opponent, only to fall 6 - 3, 7-5.  Sarkis, coming off an injury that had relagated her to doubles, was her old self once again, cheering on her teammate on the next court and complimenting her opponent in true tennis sportsmanship.  Teammate Sarah Sklar '15 easily pinned back her opponent, 6 - 0, 6 - 1.  In doubles, the Portledge first team of Danielle Litwak '13 and Andrea Palacios '15 won 6-3, 6 - 1, and second doubles partners Allison Herzig '12 and Mirella Nappi '12 won a determined Dwight pair, 8 - 2, 6 -3.  At third singles, Portledge's Leah Zafra '16 lost a seesaw third singles battle 6 - 0, 6 - 2.  This brings the team to a 3 - 2 record with nine matches to go before the championship, October 27.   

Girls' tennis triumphed over Columbia Prep Thursday, Oct. 14, 3 - 1, on a misty day on the Portledge courts.  Winning at 1st single, Lisa Dourmashkin '12 won her first set 6 - 2, narrowly lost the second 7 - 5, and finished off her opponent in a tiebreaker, 7 -4.  In a masterful singles performance, Dasha Dlin '17 came back from being down 3 - 5 to win that first set 7 - 5 and then gave her opponent a lesson, winning 6 - 1.  Not so fortunate, but just as competitive, Leah Zafra '16 lost her 3rd singles match 6 - 3, 6 - 3, but was in the match all the way.  Portlege doubles again controlled courts 4 and 5, with Rachael Scheinman '12 and Jessie Sarkis '12 splitting sets before winning the tiebreaker 7 - 3, and the 2nd doubles pair of Eve Shapiro '13  and Allison Herzig '12 took the first set, 6 - 1, and went ahead in the second set before a steady drizzle started up.  Portledge is now 5 - 3 on the season with a rematch Friday agaist arch rival Kew Forest.

Portledge girls' tennis lost to Rye Country Day on Monday, 17 October, 5 - 1.  The girls salvaged a win when Co-Captain Lisa Dourmashkin '12 won a tiebreaker as darkness fell.  She outlasted a tough 1st singles opponent, 9-8 (7-4).  Meanwhile, on the next courts, Dasha Dlin '17 and Sarah Sklar '15 were having a tussle at second and third singles respectively.  Dlin lost a see-saw battle 8 - 3, and Sklar lost by a hair, 8 - 6.  Both played their hearts out.  In a 4th single match, Andrea Palacios '15, a last-minute substitute, lost 8 - 0.  In doubles, Co-Captain Jessie Sarkis '12 and her partner Rachael Scheinman '12 were outgunned, 8 - 0, and in 2nd doubles, Mirella Nappi '12 and Allison Herzig '12 won a single game, finding a hard hitting pair of opponents too much, losing 8 - 1.  The team now stands at 5 - 4 on the season, determined to play out the season with wins and a championship cup.

Portledge girls powered their way past Lutheran High on Friday, October 21 in a league challenge.  In 1st singles, Sophia Baranrd '13 won, 8 - 0.  In 2nd singles, Co-Capt. Lisa Dourmashkin '12 also won 8 - 0.  In 3rd singles, Julia Khan '15 won 8 - 5.  In doubles, Co-Capt. Jessie Sarkis '12 and her partner Dasha Dlin '17 won 8 - 4.  In second doubles, Sarah Sklar '15 and Danielle Litwak '13 won 8 - 0.  In a return match, Portledge travels to LuHi on Saturday, Oc.t 22 for an afternoon match.  Portledge girls tennis lifted their season record to 8 - 4 with this win.

The girls' tennis ran the table against Solomon Schechter in a match Tuesday, October 25.  Straight 8 - 0 matches were won by Lisa Dourmashikin '12 (1st singles), Dasha Dlin '17 (2nd singles) and Sarah Sklar '15 (3rd singles).  Following their wins, the doubles teams of Leah Zafra '16 and Mirella Nappi '12 (1st doubles) and Andrea Palacios '15 and Alexandra Roll '12 (2nd doubles) both won 8 -0.  Portledge now anticipates playing the postponed championship match next week (postponed from Wednesday, Oct. 26), to allow those teams still completing rescheduled matches to finish their seasons.  The girls' record is now 11 - 4.