SCHENECTADY - Of the nine Scotia-Glenville players who stepped onto the court at Central Park on Thursday afternoon for the Section 2 Class B girls' tennis championship match against Ichabod Crane, just three of them were members of the squad that captured the Tartans' second straight sectional championship in 2025.
On Thursday, the six newcomers also became champions.
Standout sisters Isabel and Gabby Amurao set the tone for top-seeded Scotia-Glenville with identical 6-0, 6-0 wins in the Nos. 1 and 2 singles matches, respectively, but the six new members of the team all contributed as well in a 6-1 victory to give the Tartans a Class B three-peat.
"It's really exciting," Isabel Amuaro said. "Especially because it's my last year as a senior, and this is our third sectional title for our team in a row. It's great that we were able to rebuild so fast, losing so many seniors last year and having such a different team this year and still doing great."
Scotia-Glenville (11-4 overall) coach Geoff Olson said the team had some growing pains early in the season as it integrated new players into the lineup, but the Tartans grew as the season went on.
Now, the team has a chance to equal or exceed last year's squad, which reached the semifinals of the Division 2 state tournament. The Tartans will face Class C/D champion Greenwich on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Central Park for the right to be Section 2's representative in the Division 2 regionals.
"It's our third year in a row, and we didn't see it coming, because we lost so many seniors last year," Scotia-Glenville coach Geoff Olson said. "We just reloaded, and the girls believed, and they came through. … The first week, we were like, ‘OK, we've got some work to do,' but I'm telling you, it came together."
While Scotia-Glenville had to get contributions from its newcomers to top No. 2 seed Ichabod Crane and bring home the program's third straight sectional title, it was the Amurao sisters - the Tartans' two team captains - who led the way once again.
Both Isabel, a senior, and Gabby, a sophomore, have been on all three Tartans championship teams. On Thursday, Isabel Amurao won 6-0, 6-0 over Ichabod Crane's Libby Spensieri in the No. 1 singles match, while Gabby Amurao was a 6-0, 6-0 winner over Payge Cook in No. 2 singles.
"Having them up top always helps your team," Olson said.
The Amurao sisters face a busy week ahead. After they try to lead their team back to regionals this weekend, they'll both start the Section 2 singles tournament on Monday with strong prospects. Isabel Amurao, the runner-up in last year's sectional tournament behind eventual state champion Jolie Chichak of Shenendehowa, is the No. 2 seed behind Chichak, while Gabby Amurao is the No. 8 seed.
Though the individual tournament is still to come, for now the sisters are focused on their team's goals.
"It would be really fun," Gabby Amurao said, "if we could go (to states) again."
In addition to the wins by their captains, Scotia-Glenville got a 6-4, 6-0 win by Caroline Grainer over Ichabod Crane's Annie Lockmer in No. 3 singles, a 6-3, 6-4 win by Adelyn Cowdrey over Maddy Kaminski in No. 4 singles, a 6-4, 6-3 win by Sophia Lippiello and Lyla Jones over Ally DeMatteo and Lana Nelson in No. 1 doubles, and a 6-0, 6-2 win by Brooklyn House and Zoey McConnelee over Allorra Cirillo and Lily Stevens in No. 2 doubles.
Halo Schieren was the lone victor for the second-seeded Riders, notching a 6-2, 7-5 win over Scotia's Audra Zebrowski in the No. 5 singles match.
Subscribe
There’s more to Albany with the Times Union. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Scotia-Glenville wins third straight Section 2 Class B girls' tennis title.