2026 STAC Girls Tennis Large School Championship: Thursday, October 8 at Tioga Hills Elementary, 4:00
Ithaca (West: 10-0, 10-2) at Vestal (Metro: 9-1, 9-1)
Final: Ithaca 4 - Vestal 3
(* This year, the champion of the Metro division will host the STAC Large School Championship. It will rotate to the West division next year. Also, please note that STAC switched from one overall champion to Large School [West/Metro] and Small School [Central/East] Championships going into this school year.)
For the fourth consecutive year, Ithaca and Vestal will meet, this time for the STAC Large School Championship. The last two years have belonged to Vestal: 4-3 in 2025 and 7-0 in 2024. Ithaca got the edge in 2023, 5-2.
These teams met in their STAC League game on September 16 at Vestal, and it was all Ithaca by a 7-0 margin. However, a deeper look at the individual results shows a much more competitive contest than the final tally shows. Three of the matches went to a third-set tiebreaker: Oliva Hao over Bikel Cass 6-2, 6-7 (6-8), 1-0 (10-4); Andrea Martinez over Breana Hardy 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (11-9); and Yeannette Sopchak / Jingying Xu over Meenakshi Chakravadhanula / Seema Patel 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 (10-4).
The potential matchup at 1st Singles should be very competitive. Ithaca’s Mengdi Zeng handed Vestal’s Sophie Sweet her only loss of the season in a 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 game in their last matchup. Zeng dropped a three-set match to Seton’s Caroline Knudson on September 3rd, but has rolled through the competition since then.
Ithaca leads the way with 12 STAC Championships, and Vestal is nearby with 7.
2026 STAC Girls Tennis Small School Championship: Thursday, October 8 at Recreation Park, 4:00
(* Central division hosts this year, with East hosting next year.)
Chenango Forks (East: 11-0, 12-0) at Seton (Central: 10-1, 11-1)
Final: Seton 4 - Chenango Forks 3
With Chenango Forks’ move to the East division this year, it sets up a great matchup with Central champion Seton. The old Central division rivals met on September 18, with Chenango Forks handing Seton their only blemish of the season 4-3.
In that matchup, the strong doubles teams of Chenango Forks swept Seton 3-0, with Grace Kumiega’s 6-4, 6-2 victory over Samantha Pratt at 2nd Singles proving to be the difference.
The 1st Doubles contest was the only match that went to a third set. Chenango Forks’ Emily Phelps / Jillian Staub dropped the first set to Seton’s Ava Stanton / Aria Gilbride 2-6, but then bounced back in the final two sets 6-2, 6-0.
Seton’s three wins came via their strong Singles team of Caroline Knudson (6-0, 6-1 over Kendra Burr), Emma Stanton (6-1, 6-3 over Shavonne Struchen) and Natalie Scanlon (6-2, 7-5 over Calliope Brennan).
Seton owns 10 STAC Championships, last winning in 2022 when darkness declared co-champions with Ithaca. They won four consecutive titles from 2015-2018. Chenango Forks will look to make history by winning their first ever STAC Championship.
STAC Championship History:
2025: Vestal d. Ithaca 4-3
2024: Vestal d. Ithaca 7-0
2023: Ithaca d. Vestal 5-2
2022: Ithaca & Seton (co-champions)
2021: Ithaca d. Union-Endicott 5-2
2020: No playoffs due to Covid-19
2019: Ithaca d. Seton 4-3
2018: Seton d. Union-Endicott 4-3
2017: Seton d. Ithaca 6-1
2016: Seton d. Horseheads 5-2
2015: Seton d. Horseheads 4-3
2014: Horseheads d. Vestal 5-2
2013: Horseheads d. Vestal 4-3
2012: Horseheads d. Vestal 4-3
2011: Vestal d. Horseheads 4-3
2010: Seton d. Ithaca 5-2
2009: Ithaca d. Susquehanna Valley 5-2
2008: Ithaca d. Horseheads 4-3
2007: Vestal d. Seton 4-3
2006: Seton d. Horseheads 6-1
2005: Seton d. Union-Endicott 4-3
2004: Maine-Endwell d. Binghamton 4-3
2003: Binghamton & Seton (co-champions)
2002: Union-Endicott d. Seton 6-1
2001: Maine-Endwell d. Ithaca 4-3
2000: Maine-Endwell d. Binghamton 4-2
1999: Binghamton d. Maine-Endwell 5-2
1998: Binghamton d. Union-Endicott 4-3
1997: Ithaca d. Binghamton 4-3
1996: Maine-Endwell d. Ithaca 6-1
1995: Ithaca d. Maine-Endwell 5-2
1994: Maine-Endwell d. Ithaca 5-2
1993: Ithaca d. Vestal 4-3
1992: Ithaca d. Vestal 6-1
1991: Ithaca d. Susquehanna Valley 7-0
1990: Vestal d. Ithaca 6-1
1989: Vestal d. Binghamton 5-1
1988: Union-Endicott d. Vestal 5-2
1987: Union-Endicott d. Binghamton I 5-2 *
1986: Binghamton I d. Maine-Endwell 5-2 *
1985: Binghamton I d. Maine-Endwell 4-3 *
1984: Binghamton I d. Maine-Endwell 5-2 *
1983: Binghamton d. Seton 6-1
1982: Maine-Endwell d. Owego 6-1
1981: Maine-Endwell d. Norwich 7-0
1980: Vestal d. Norwich 4-2
1979: Binghamton Central d. Maine-Endwell 4-3
1978: Seton **
1977: Maine-Endwell **
1976: Binghamton Central d. Vestal 5-2
1975: Binghamton Central
1974: Binghamton Central
1973: Binghamton Central
1972: Maine-Endwell **
1971: Ithaca **
1970: Johnson City
* Binghamton had 2 varsity teams
** No championship game; finished 1st in division