Foursome has played big role in Panthers’ undefeated season
By: Justin Feil
Going into this season, there was a bit of indecision as to who would start at the doubles teams for the Princeton Day School girls’ tennis team. Returning were four players who had made up the pairings last year, but there were challengers.
"We had two other players being considered," Panther head coach Renny Shuster said. "One had worked very hard over the summer to improve her game. We had a huge decision to make."
But having played at least one full season together, the first doubles and second doubles teams had a bond that couldn’t be broken.
"We went with the personalities," Shuster explained. "They were very close and it was a hard decision. But we’re very happy with it."
The two pairs have lost a combined two games this season. At first doubles, Dorian Batt and Tyler Bracken have put together a 14-1 record. Sarah Fort and Ilana Goldfarb have been one game better at 15-1 this season at second doubles. Both teams’ losses came in the Mercer County Tournament, at which the Panthers finished third overall.
It wasn’t as though the success of the doubles was out of the blue. Batt and Bracken were 14-5 last year and won the Prep B state tournament. Fort and Goldfarb were 15-3 and reached the Prep B final.
"I definitely think we had high expectations because last season we had such a good season," said Bracken, the only senior of the group. "I was just hoping my senior year would live up to the expectations. I hope to continue all my seasons the same way."
But before Bracken prepares for ice hockey in the winter and then lacrosse in the spring, there’s still plenty of tennis this fall. PDS will travel to West Windsor-Plainsboro High North today before opening Prep A play 9 a.m. Wednesday at Lawrenceville. It will be the first season in a long time that the Panthers have played in the larger schools’ division.
"At first, we were really disappointed," said Fort, a junior who also plays softball for PDS. "It was upsetting to find out we had to play in the A’s. We have a chance to be competitive now though."
The Panthers are drawing confidence from their performance against some of the Prep A teams they’ve played as well as some of the top area teams. PDS defeated The Hun School, faced Lawrenceville in the MCT, and beat both WW-P South and Princeton, the two top Colonial Valley Conference teams. In the Panthers’ wins, the doubles teams have factored heavily, particularly in the win over the Pirates, one of the best teams in the state.
"That was definitely our biggest challenge this year," said Goldfarb, another junior, who figure skates when she’s not playing tennis. "We have a good way of getting ourselves to the level of what we need. We can get ourselves up when we need to."
"It helps just to know what we’re up against," said Fort, pointing to their MCT matches. "Now we have some idea of what we’ll face and we have a better chance."
The players and Shuster also have an advantage of a special addition this season. The only real newcomer to the whole doubles scene at PDS is Antonio Gil, the former WW-P head coach who arrived to help his friend Shuster.
"Señor’s definitely contributed," said Batt, a third junior who also plays basketball and lacrosse. "He’s motivated us. His exuberance and enthusiasm picks us up when we’re down. And it’s helped Coach Shuster. She’s a lot of fun because she can relax more now."
"He’s been a tremendous asset," Shuster added. "He has a huge command of the doubles game. He’s a great motivator. He’s brought a lot of depth to them."
With Gil concentrating on keeping the doubles teams in line, Shuster has been able to focus on the singles players, who have also enjoyed solid seasons. Alexis Jacobi at first singles, Julie Wilson at second, and Summer Headley at third, have all come through in big matches.
"With Alexis at one and with really strong doubles," Shuster said, "it gives you some nice confidence going into each match. My expectations going in are that everybody will win. It helps, though, having them."
To go to a practice, an outside observer might not be able to differentiate the pairs. Playing against each other for the past two years has left them knowledgeable of each other’s strengths and weaknesses. It continues to produce close matches.
"They’re usually tiebreakers," Batt said. "We’re lucky to have such talent playing on the team. It’s like we have the first doubles team playing on two courts."
As much as the doubles’ teams familiarity with each other helps in practice matches, it also shows when they take on other schools.
Fort and Goldfarb have played together all three years they’ve been at the high school. Though mostly JV their freshman year, the two have a solid command of each other’s game.
"Ilana has really fantastic ground strokes and sets up a lot of points," Fort said.
"And Sarah dots the ‘i’ and crosses the ‘t,’" Goldfarb finished.
It’s the same way with Batt and Bracken. They have the most doubles experience with each in their third year competing at the varsity level. Batt teamed with her sister, Jessica, to go 12-8 at second doubles as a freshman. Three years ago, Bracken paired up with Marin Blitzer to go 12-7 as a freshman.
"Tyler puts everything away at the net," Batt said. "And I run everything down."
"And she dots the ‘i,’" Bracken said. "One of us sets up the play and the other dots the ‘i.’ It’s what Señor always says."
After Bracken graduates, Batt will have to find another partner, or she could move up to replace Headley, the other senior who will graduate. But Fort and Goldfarb hope they end their final year together on the court.
"We have a strong singles player coming up, I think," Fort said. "It would be strange to split up at this point."
Just in case, PDS would like to make a strong showing in its initial Prep A tournament appearance.
"We’re kind of the underdogs," Bracken said. "It’s our first year in A’s and we’ve done pretty well. It would be a nice way to top it off."