Serve, volley and win

“Do two and out and win with a smile.”  That’s the motto of the 2009 Highland Park High School girls’ tennis team.  Taking two sets, being respectful to your opponent and coming out with a victory have been themes for this year’s squad.

As of Oct. 22, HP was 14-2 overall (14-1 in their GMC Blue division).  The Owls were the No. 1 seed in the Central Jersey Group I tournament before bowing out to section champ Roselle Park in the semifinals, 3-2.

Senior SoYoung Kim rifles a return past partner Shruti Sharma. (Tony Dominiczak)

“They were a little upset to lose a conference game, but the Roselle Park match was a very competitive and really good match,” said interim head coach Julie Klimowicz.  “It was very cold outside and they played tough until the end.  It was definitely nice to be back in that spot in the state tournament.”

The season has not been a completely smooth road, as much of the play on the court would indicate.  Longtime Highland Park head coach Bob Kertes (in his sixth season of a second stint at the position) suffered a health setback in September, so fellow Physical Education and Health teacher Julie Klimowicz stepped into the spot to help out a program that always seems to be around the state title hunt.

(Athletic Director) “Mr. Thomas told all the players at a lunch meeting that Mr. Kertes wasn’t going to be able to coach and it was rather quiet,” Klimowicz said.  “But it was okay when I stepped in and they’ve all talked to him on bus rides home and cool stuff like that.  We’ve just had so many matches in a short period of time that it’s been hard to catch our breath.”

Back on the court, Highland Park does things the right way.  In a game that is completely etiquette-based and each player is responsible for line calls, the Owls find the happy medium between sportsmanship and continuing the dominance that this program is accustomed to.

“They’ve been good from the beginning and I like what I see,” Klimowicz said.  “They’re a bit timid but each player has a slightly different approach and that helps the team find ways to win.  They’ve been stable because I haven’t done a playoff in a while because of the tight schedule, but the team responded well.”

At first singles, senior Alina Buevich leads the way at a spot she conquered a couple years ago.  She was the lone Owl to advance in the GMC Tournament, going into the second round of the county-wide pool.  Klimowicz was impressed with her efficiency on Oct. 22 versus Carteret as she took care of her opponent 6-0, 6-0 in just 45 minutes.

“Buevich is a smart player,” Klimowicz said.  “She keeps her head and hits a lot of nice shots.  She’ll look at the other player trying to do a bit too much and just hit the shots.  The two-and-out idea seems to work with her a lot. And that’s what a lot of the players have been doing so it’s been very nice.”

Youth is served at second singles with freshman Xuwei Ouyang taking the reigns as a first-year player with an edge.

“Xuwei got annoyed when we lost and showed some leadership ability,” Klimowicz said.  “She’s aggressive and plays like that too, so that’s good to see.”

Senior Alina Buevich heads the squad at first singles. (Tony Dominiczak)

Senior Wendy Pan caps things off at third singles—a player that Klimowicz and teammates call “consistent and like a wall.”

At first doubles, senior SoYoung Kim and junior Shruti Sharma have shown marked improvement from the start of the campaign.

“I like what I’ve seen from SoYoung and Shruti over the past couple of weeks,” Klimowicz said.  “They now talk to each other, so there’s a little bit more communication in getting things done and assertiveness.”

To round out the starting seven, seniors Anna Fedeeva and Xiaotong Li hold down the fort at second doubles.

“They play well together,” Klimowicz said.  “I think they work out the best and are smart players and that’s why they’ve got the spot.”

As the Owls close out another double-digit win campaign with a veteran squad, it’s hard not to look into the future as HP tries to rebuild and make another run at a sectional championship.

“I mean for the future, there are good kids coming up but I think only five kids staying,” Klimowicz said.  “They know they have to recruit inside of school. They’ll find ways to get better if they keep up the hard work after the season.”