VOORHEESVILLE — For the third year in a row, players on the Voorheesville girls’ tennis team have been the queens of the court in Class B.

The Lady Blackbirds won all seven matches to beat Cobleskill for the title.
"We lost one starter from the year before," said Voorheesville Coach Tom Kurkjian. "A three-peat was something that we felt we could do. It depends on if any of the other schools get an exchange student. We thought it was possible but you still got to win it. One or two are possible but then you usually don’t have enough people left, especially at a small school."

Voorheesville lost Courtney Clark to graduation. Clark was on the team for one year after transferring from a school in Cortland.

Also the Blackbirds’ line-up was moved around after number-two singles player Allie McArdle missed the last part of the season with mononucleosis. But Kurkjian was able to fill the spot easily.

Lexi Burtman stayed at the number-one spot and won her match, 6-3, 7-5. Jackie Daley moved up to the number-two slot and won her match 6-3, 7-5.

Laura Watson moved up to number three and won her match, 6-7, 6-2, 6-2. Alex Childs continued the Birds success with a 6-0, 6-3 win.

Nazely Kurkjian, the coach’s daughter who usually plays doubles, was the fifth singles player and won her match, 6-4, 6-2.
"She won at number-five when we played Holy Names the year before," Coach Kurjian said.

Jackie Ransbury teamed with Laura Glasser in the sectionals; they won their final match 7-6, 6-2. Ciatta Jannasari and Nell Pritchard won their doubles match, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Last year, the Blackbirds beat Cobleskill, 6-1, in a surprising outcome.
"Actually, the first year we won," Kurkjian said, "was our first in the B’s. There was a little anxiety facing a new mix of teams. The second year, last year, it was a surprise because our traditional rival, Chatham, was upset by Cobleskill."

Going for a fourth title will be difficult. McArdle, Watson, Childs, Glasser, and Ransbury will be graduating.

But Kurkjian sees enough talent to be a competitive team next year.

Burtman and Nazely Kurkjian return along with Jannasari, Pritchard, and Daley.

There are also some younger team members who are good players. Sophomores Brittany Albright and Fannie Liu has shown improvement and played a bit this season.
"We should have a representative team," Kurkjian said. "But you never know what anyone else has."

There are a group of girls who have potential, though they didn’t play much on varsity this year: sophomores Laura Norman and Leah Simpson; ninth-grader Kathleen McArdle, middle schoolers Armine Kurkjian, also the coach’s daughter; Moira O’Donnell; and Christina Ransbury.
"Some of them are advanced, some are in the middle, and some just started," Kurkjian said.

Still playing

The season is not over for a few of the players.

Burtman and Daley will be competing in the singles part of the individual sectionals. McArdle and Watson will be playing as a doubles team as will Nazely Kurkjian and Jackie Ransbury.

Coach Kurkjian said that he is proud of the sectional titles, but there is one goal that the team set that it didn’t accomplish — winning the Colonial Council.
"Our goal is to topple Holy Names," Kurkjian said. "We couldn’t do it this year. They have kind of turned the corner on tennis. I’ve been coaching the boys for a long time and they remind me of Albany Academy. They are a big challenge. I would love to get another league title or at least a share. We have a lot of 10th-graders, but, hopefully, we can get them. That is what our goal has always been. But it is tough to compete against private schools in certain areas and tennis is one of them.
"But the girls have a lot to be proud of," Kurkjian added. "Not many schools win three sectional titles or more. Winning three in this area is not easily accomplished. But the seniors are not happy they couldn’t topple Holy Names. But winning three sectional titles is nothing to be ashamed of."