SARATOGA SPRINGS - Queensbury's second straight Section 2 Class A girls' tennis championship didn't require anywhere near the drama of the previous year's title, but it was still plenty satisfying for the Spartans.
Unlike last year's down-to-the-wire championship win over Albany Academy, when the deciding match took 3 ½ hours to complete with barely enough light to finish play, top-seeded Queensbury's win over No. 2 Columbia on Saturday at Saratoga Springs High School was much less pressure-packed.
The Spartans needed less than 90 minutes to secure the clinching point in what ended up as a 6-1 victory over Columbia.
"We're really excited," said Queensbury captain Nicole Greenstein, a six-year varsity standout who scored a 6-1, 6-2 win over Columbia's Saige Keenholts in the No. 1 singles match. "We knew how important this was for our coach and our team."
"It was really exciting to follow up from last year, get another ‘W,'" added fellow captain Kate Trowbridge, who was a 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 10-8 winner over Kaylin Riley in No. 2 singles. "It's so special, and really proves the depth of our team."
Queensbury (14-2) will face the Class AA champion on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Schenectady's Central Park for the right to advance as Section 2's representative in the Division 1 state tournament.
On Saturday, the Spartans got out to a hot start with Breck Allen's 6-0, 6-2 win over Jasmin Riley in No. 3 singles. That set the tone for Queensbury's strong afternoon.
"Breck Allen, in these big moments, is so tough and always steps up," Queensbury coach Doug Fraser said.
Greenstein's victory over Keenholts in the No. 1 spot and Grace O'Keefe's 6-0, 6-1 win over Natalie Jordan in No. 4 singles put Queensbury on the precipice of clinching the title repeat.
It was the Spartans' No. 2 doubles team of Lydia Beecher and Jyllian Hoskins-Pfeiffer who locked up the vital fourth point with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Bernice Nwaefuna and Riya Malge.
"I love the fact that the No. 2 doubles clinched the match today," Fraser said. "That's so deserving for two young ladies who have worked so hard and have been trending upwards as the team has been trending upwards."
Trowbridge's three-set win over Kaylin Riley and a 6-3, 7-5 win by Julliette Demers and Ludovica Bassi over Reilly Sherwin and Amulya Riyali in No. 1 doubles rounded out Queensbury's victory.
Emily Bollam was Columbia's lone winner, pulling out a 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 10-3 win over Sammi Smead in No. 5 singles. Despite the championship loss, the season marked a step forward for Columbia, which was eliminated by Albany Academy in the 2025 Class A quarterfinals as the No. 7 seed.
"There were a few matches that got extended by what I would consider a lot of grit," Columbia coach Jeremy Bollam said. "Our girls, even when we didn't have to keep fighting, they did."
As for the Spartans, there wasn't that much time to celebrate. Soon after the championship plaque and patches were presented, they piled onto the bus and headed back up the Northway to prepare for Queensbury's homecoming dance later that evening.
"There's a lot going on, but it's worth it being out here," Trowbridge said.
"Yeah, and bringing home the title is awesome," Demers added.
Subscribe
There’s more to Albany with the Times Union. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Queensbury powers to Section 2 Class A girls' tennis title repeat.