Junior helps MHS tennis start 2-0
By: Justin Feil
Dan D’Agostino would have been happy helping the Montgomery High School boys’ tennis team in any capacity.
Given the choice, however, the MHS junior was hoping to remain in the singles lineup. A contributor at second doubles as a freshman, he moved up to third singles last year and helped the Cougars finish strong and make the state tournament.
The offseason addition of Matt Pierson, a ranked player from Illinois, left some doubt as to D’Agostino’s position. While incumbent first-singles Jeremy Eckhardt held his spot against Pierson, D’Agostino remained in the singles lineup by beating last year’s second singles’ player Ryan Dennie in a challenge match.
"I knew it was going to be a battle for any of the singles spots," D’Agostino said. "That’s one thing good about our team. We have four good singles players."
D’Agostino is happy to be one of them for a second straight year. He’s looking to improve on last season’s 9-12 record he had, and his year has begun much better. D’Agostino improved to 2-0 with a three-set win in the Cougars’ 5-0 win over Hunterdon Central on Thursday.
"Last year, I made the jump from second doubles to third singles," D’Agostino said. "It was a completely different game. I had to make some adjustments. I got off to a rough start. It really helped me out to play (singles) last year.
"The good start definitely gives me some more confidence. Last year, my start was the exact opposite. I was 0-5. We were 0-5."
The good start is just what D’Agostino and the Cougars were looking for this season. Last year, both had to bounce back. D’Agostino won nine of his final 16 matches while MHS rallied to reach the .500 mark just in time for a respectable finish and a 10-10 final record.
"We qualified for states," D’Agostino said. "We had a good record from there on out. We knew last year it was going to be tough to get in after that start. It would have been a real disappointment (to miss states). This year we wanted to get off to a good start. We have a little bit of a cushion.
"I think we’re all very excited," he added. "We still know we need to improve at all the positions. Right now, we’re all looking pretty strong."
There was evidence that D’Agostino improved over last season even before the start of the regular season. His challenge match win over Dennie, who has the best winning percentage last season out of any of the Cougar singles players, showed he had gotten better. How it happened wasn’t an accident.
"Through a lot of hard work," D’Agostino said. "I played a lot in the offseason. I get some court time at Winning Touch Tennis. I play anywhere I can get a court. This year, I actually gave up playing soccer. I played tennis more. It gave me a lot more time."
A former defender on soccer, D’Agostino made the tough choice to stop playing the sport he took up long before tennis. Early returns show it was a decision that helped him remain a singles player for the Cougars.
"This past summer was the first summer I started playing in tournaments," D’Agostino said. "That really helped to get experience in match play.
"It’s not that I hadn’t been working hard the past few years. This year, I kicked it up another notch. It paid off."
Not only did it benefit him in the preseason challenge matches, but it also has paid off to open the regular season. D’Agostino’s perfect start is tangible proof of his improvement. He expects it to continue through the season.
"I think I’ve improved in about every aspect," D’Agostino said. "I’m playing smarter. I’m playing better strategy. I’m playing with a little more confidence. I’ve improved the variety and strokes of my game."
D’Agostino showed the ability to keep mentally in a game when he fell behind in Thursday’s win. The match, which had to be continued from Monday after rain postponed it, didn’t start as well as he had hoped.
"It started pouring on Monday when I was up, 4-3," D’Agostino said. "I came out Thursday and I didn’t come out that strong. I ended up losing the first set. I really turned it around and focused on my game and making the shots I know I can make.
"It was just a rough start. I needed to get going again. That was very similar to what happened on Monday when we started playing the match. I started slow and came back to get the lead."
D’Agostino and the Cougars have made a real effort to put slow starts behind them. With a 2-0 start for both of them as they head into this week of spring break, MHS is feeling confident about this season.
"Winning those first two matches," D’Agostino said, "it was a monkey off our back from last year."
Now the Cougars are poised to focus on the matches ahead and continuing to improve through the season. For D’Agostino, that means continuing to work on becoming the best third singles player possible, something he’s taking to heart.
"I came into it this year just hoping to make a singles spot," he said. "That’s what ended up happening so I was very glad.
"I’m sure I would have had a little bit of disappointment if I didn’t make it because I worked hard. I would have had no problem playing where I could help the team."
This year, like last year, that will be the third singles spot for Dan D’Agostino.

