MTHS tennis team makes a push for White Division title

By: Sean Richards
   Following a slow and frustrating start, everything is starting to point to a positive and winning season for the Monroe Township High School girls tennis team.
   Over the last week, the Falcons rolled past Bishop Ahr, 4-1, and Colonia, 3-2. That left the team at 5-2 with a five-match winning streak.
   In between wins, Monroe came up with a solid performance at the Greater Middlesex Conference championships. As expected, the Falcons finished well back in the pack in the team standings behind some of the more traditional powers in the county, but they did have some strong individual showings that should pay off as the season goes along.
   Monroe is still in the hunt for GMC White Division honors with just the two losses on its record.
   "I’m encouraged," coach Trudy Marmorek said. "We’ve had a nice run. I think the doubles teams are starting to click. Hopefully, we’re ready to post a bunch of wins."
   The highlight at the GMC’s was turned in by the first doubles team of Ashley Palach and Nicolette Waksmunduski. The 12th seed heading in, Palach and Waksmunduski opened with an 8-5 win over a squad from Spotswood.
   Palach and Waksmunduski then really stepped it up by knocking off the fifth-seeded pairing from Edison, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. This advanced Monroe’s first doubles team into an impressive quarterfinal round appearance, where it fell to the fourth-seeded duo from Woodbridge, 6-3, 6-1.
   "I thought they played very well," said Marmorek. "It’s a really long day, but they held up. These girls are used to playing one match a day. It’s tough to all of a sudden play three."
   The marathon three-match session at the first day of the GMCs might have gotten to Monroe’s No. 1 singles player, Marisa Jendras, as well.
   The eighth seed, Jendras started strong with an 8-2 cruise over Jane Viernes of Sayreville and then posted a 6-2 victory over ninth-seeded Kristin Billich of South Plainfield.
   Next up, however, was top-seeded Stef Balasa of East Brunswick. This did not go as well as Balasa posted a 6-0, 6-0 win over Monroe’s top player. A buzzsaw on the court with all the shots in her arsenal, Balasa later won the first singles title for an East Brunswick team that went a gaudy 5-for-5 in the championship matches.
   "Marisa did well, but she’s still not at 100 percent physically," said Marmorek. "And that girl from East Brunswick is tough. She gave it her best shot."
   Losing in the first round was Monroe’s Jackie Niu in second singles. In third singles, Leyna O’Neill of Monroe beat Marie Cunicella of Bishop Ahr in a 9-8 (7-2) thriller, but then lost to eighth-seeded Anita Kollory of J.F. Kennedy, 6-2, 6-4.
   Monroe second doubles team of Jackie Jesus and Eleonara Malliani was also 1-1, beating a team from St. Peter’s, 8-1, and falling to a pairing from J.P. Stevens, 6-0, 6-0.
   In the win over Colonia, Jendras, Niu and Jesus-Malliani won in straight sets.
   "It was a good match," Marmorek said. "Our losses all went three sets."
   Upcoming action includes a home match against South Plainfield Tuesday and an appearance by Jendras in the state tournament Saturday at Mercer County Park.
   Jendras is the only member of the team to qualify for states, which had the ridiculously early cutoff date in mid-September. To make states a player much be .600 by the cutoff.
   "I think we can finish up the season strong," said Marmorek. "I think all of our singles players have the ability to win and I see improvement in doubles as well. We still have a lot to play for. We’ll just see how it goes."