During the annual Bergen County Women’s Coaches Association (BCWCA) Small Schools County Tennis Tournament on September 23 and 24 held at Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan, Cresskill freshman Stephanie Kim paved the way for the Lady Cougars and held a light to her own bright tennis future by making it to the semifinals. Stephanie Kim, a new addition to the team, has been proving her skills since the beginning of the season when she shot to the top of the lineup and claimed the second singles position before school even started. The county tournament acted as the perfect stage for her to display her abilities against other top-ranked players.

With her was the rest of the Varsity tennis team, which is led by senior captains Michelle Yu and Olivia Newman and includes seniors Pooja Balar and Michelle Kim, junior Gwenyth Gorfin, and sophomore Amanda Graf. Though all positions received difficult draws in the first round, doubles pair Michelle Kim and Graf made their way to the quarterfinals, where they battled it out with Pascack Hills, ultimately losing the match. Meanwhile, Stephanie Kim, who also went up against Pascack Hills in her second round match, crushed her opponent and moved on to the semifinals.

Put head to head with Leonia singles-ace Bianca Lieber, Stephanie struggled in the difficult match-up. While Stephanie got in a handful of great shots that left coach Barbara Muller, her teammates, and her family applauding her, Lieber eventually defeated her. Lieber went on to lose to Emily Katz of Dwight-Englewood, who claimed the title victory.

While Stephanie Kim didn’t achieve her desired outcome, she finished the tournament satisfied with her play and eager to finish the rest of the regular season with her teammates. According to Stephanie, as a freshman, she was “proud to represent [her] town. It was a great match, and [she] can’t wait to continue playing for the next three years.” Stephanie obviously has some talented skills up her sleeve, and a chance to win the tournament in the next few years is certainly an achievable goal.