Van Cott Sisters Make William Floyd History

William Floyd High School seniors Anabel and Lydia Van Cott put an exclamation point on their outstanding high school tennis careers with an impressive performance at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) girls' tennis doubles tournament.

Competing at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing under the guidance of head coach Dave Pia, the sisters entered the tournament unseeded but quickly showed they belonged among the state's best. The Van Cotts defeated two teams seeded in the top eight and finished sixth overall in New York State, the highest finish in the history of William Floyd's girls varsity tennis program!

The sisters opened the tournament with a convincing 6-4, 6-1 victory over a team from Jamesville-DeWitt High School in the round of 32. They followed that performance with an even bigger win, knocking off the tournament's fifth-seeded team from Orchard Park High School, 7-5, 7-5, to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time as a doubles team.

Their championship hopes came to an end with a hard-fought quarterfinal loss to Guilderland High School. However, the sisters continued competing in the Fifth Place Draw, eventually securing sixth place after another victory and a narrow loss in the fifth-place match that came down to a third-set tiebreaker.

Coach Pia praised the sisters for their accomplishments throughout the season, which included All-State honors, Conference Doubles Championships, a County Doubles Tournament finalist appearance and a spot in the Team County Tournament finals.

"All their hard work and dedication has made William Floyd very proud!" Pia said, adding that he felt fortunate to have coached the sisters throughout their high school careers.

Although their time representing William Floyd has come to an end, the Van Cott sisters aren't finished playing tennis. Both will continue their athletic careers at The College of New Jersey next fall, bringing their talents and experience to the collegiate level.