Monroe’s state tennis appearance a good learning experience

By: Ken Weingartner
   The athletes on the Monroe High boys’ tennis team are students by day — and students at play.
   Monroe’s players have faced some of the best competition around in recent weeks, and the experience can only benefit the team, especially when you consider the Falcons won’t graduate any starters this year.
   The Falcons faced top players in the recent Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament, and again on Monday in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II team tourney. Monroe, seeded 11th, lost 5-0 to sixth-seeded Hopewell Valley. In addition, the squad plays in the same division with North Brunswick and South Plainfield, two of the stronger GMC teams.
   "It’s good because it can only help us get better," said Frank Senatore, who is 10-3 this season at first singles. "The competition (against Hopewell Valley) was really tough. They’re a well-coached team, from first singles all the way to second doubles. But we seem to be getting better and better. I think I’m improving."
   Senatore, a junior, will get to learn more later this month. He’s qualified for the state singles tournament, and will face Summit’s Will Sennert in the first round at noon May 31 at Mercer County Park.
   "Playing against better competition you learn how to control different shots," Senatore said. "You learn to put more spin on shots, and not to hit a shot too easy. You have to keep your focus at all times. If you don’t, you end up paying for it one way or another."
   Senatore rebounded from his loss against Hopewell Valley to beat South Plainfield’s Joe Smalley, 7-5, 6-3. It was the Falcons’ only point in a 4-1 loss to the Tigers, who improved to 10-1. Monroe, whose lineup is predominately juniors and sophomores, is 5-6.
   One of those sophomores, doubles player Justin Bauman, said the tournament experiences have been "good."
   "A lot of the season we’re playing against mediocre teams," said Bauman, who has teamed with Ken Stanley to go 6-4 at second doubles. "Now we get to see how good other second doubles teams are. Against some of the not-so-good teams, you’ve just got to get the ball over the net. Against the better teams you have to make better shots or they’re just going to hit them back harder."
   Bauman, who wrestles in the winter, has been playing tennis since he was about 7 years old. He said he’s "not that great of a player" and added that he’d like to improve his volleying.
   "A lot of times I get it over the net and just hope it’s a good shot," he said, honestly. "I’ve played pretty well overall. I have my off games, but all in all it’s been pretty good."
   Bauman said he’s been pleased by the way his partnership with Stanley has worked out.
   "We work pretty well together," Bauman said. "We got paired up in the middle of the season, so it’s been difficult because we haven’t had many practices together. The only time we have to get used to each other is in matches."
   Coming into the season, Bauman’s goal was to make the varsity team. "I was able to do that, so then my goal became to have a winning record," he said. "So far, we’ve been able to do that too. I’d like for us to win the majority of our remaining matches now, and to play well against the better teams, like North Brunswick."
   And even if the wins don’t come, the learning will.