Dorman, Reisman part of PHS states win
By: Justin Feil
Liana Dorman and Kasey Reisman knew they were not stepping into an enviable position.
With the graduation of Anna Pang and Julie Szymaniak last year, the first doubles spot was open on the Princeton High School girls’ tennis team. Pang and Szymaniak had gone 21-3 last year and were Mercer County Tournament runners-up in back-to-back seasons.
"I was a little nervous," said Reisman. "I knew I had a lot of big shoes to fill. First doubles that graduated, they were really good. They always pulled us through close matches. I know I’m probably not as good as them. I was hoping be as helpful to team as they were."
The PHS junior had the added challenge of moving up from junior varsity all the way to the first doubles slot. Dorman also was making a move up and a big change.
"The first major difference is I switched partners," said Dorman, a senior. "I played last year with Liz Haughton. First doubles both graduated. Our coach split me and my partner up and put us with partners who aren’t as experienced. The teams are a little harder and a little more challenging. Kasey has been playing well. We’ve been playing well. Hopefully we can keep it up rest of the season."
Dorman and Reisman picked up their most satisfying win of the season to date when they avenged their MCT loss in Princeton’s 5-0 win over West Windsor-Plainsboro North in the Central Jersey Group III quarterfinals on Thursday. The second-seeded Little Tigers advance to host No. 3 Wall today at Community Park.
WW-P South was eliminated from the CJ IV tournament with a 3-2 loss to South Brunswick. The second-seeded Pirates picked up wins from Joelle Nitzberg at first singles, as well as the No. 1 doubles team of Lesley Norris and Allison Kempf. But it was not enough to avert an upset at the hands of the 10th-seeded Vikings.
"It was just nice for them," said PHS head coach Sarah Heyman, whose team improved to 11-0. "They were very close in counties. It could have gone either way. Unfortunately, they ended up on short end of that match. It was great to prove to themselves what they knew, that they could beat them, particularly with everyone else on the team winning. It’s nice to share in the victory."
The first doubles team would love to share in a part of a PHS victory today. It was Wall that ended the Little Tigers’ state tournament last year in the CJ III finals.
"There is mixed emotions going into the match," Heyman said. "Of course, we want to win. You always want to win. We also are realistic and we know it’s going to be a tough match. We have no delusions of sweeping a 5-love victory. If we can pull out three, that’s perfect for me. Of course, we’re going to give it our best. I would love for us to be able to make it to the finals."
It could set up a match with top-seeded Moorestown, which has moved from South Jersey to Central Jersey with this year’s realignment. It would give the Little Tigers’ doubles tandem a week full of difficult tests.
PHS just a week ago faced West Windsor-Plainsboro South, then Dorman and Reisman topped WW-P North on Thursday, Saturday they won in the state doubles tournament and Sunday they became the only unseeded team to beat a seeded team when they knocked off Haddonfield in three sets. In the third round Sunday, they were finally eliminated with a loss to the third-seeded team from Ramapo. Monday they were scheduled to take on Lawrenceville.
"We’re going to go out and try our hardest," Dorman said. "With Wall, it’ll be a good match. It’s going to be the most challenging, but I feel like we can come through with a win. It’s definitely a reachable win."
Dorman knows from experience. She and Haughton were the lone victors last year against Wall in the CJ III final. She’s hoping to duplicate that success with her new partner.
"Last year it was my five seconds of fame," Dorman said. "Me and my partner won in a three-setter. It was a three-hour long match. It was so close the whole entire game. It was remarkable.
"This year, they lost a lot of really good players. We all have a chance. We could come through. I know a lot of their good players graduated. If we play well, we can come through with a win."
Reisman is enjoying her first state tournament. It’s quite a change from what she experienced as a JV player last year.
"Most teams’ JVs are much weaker than their varsity," Reisman said. "So I’m not used to how competitive it is. It’s very different. Just the fact that varsity matches count for something. If you lose, you’re putting your team at risk for losing. In JV, they keep score, but you know you’re not doing any harm if you lose."
Dorman, who switched from soccer to tennis as a sophomore, had made that jump the year before to the varsity level and she has helped Reisman adjust. It’s helped that the two balance each other out.
"The thing that makes me and Kasey a good combination," Dorman said, "is she hits the ball so hard it’s unbelievable. I’m more about placement and judgment. I don’t hit it as hard. But we balance each other out. We both bring something to the table which makes us a pretty good team."
Added Reisman: "Liana is a really steady player. She rarely ever misses. She’s so consistent. I’m consistent sometimes. I think I hit it a little harder. It’s a good combination I guess. We can stand up to any style from another team."
The two also have improved and strengthened as a team this season. Thursday’s win was proof of it. After losing, 7-6, 6-4, in the county tournament to the Knights, PHS prevailed, 6-3, 6-2, Thursday as part of the sweep.
"It made me feel so good," Reisman said. "Going in, I wasn’t expecting to lose. I was expecting to do the best we can. Even though we lost, it was close. It was 7-6 in the first set and 6-4 in second set. We knew we could have done it. (Thursday), we were playing a lot better. It made us feel a lot better afterward."
Dorman is hoping that the Little Tigers can keep it up as they prepare for Wall. While she was a winner last year against Wall, she knows that PHS has plenty of motivation going into the match.
"Whenever you lose to a team, you go in with so much more momentum," she said. "You want to beat them. You want to show them what it’s like to lose. We’re going in with a lot of momentum and a lot of confidence. We all have to play our best."
Dorman proved she could win under pressure last year. She’s been there to help Reisman, who is also developing into a reliable force for PHS.
"Kasey has always had the potential to be a great player," Heyman said. "She’s always had a great game and a lot of power. She’s really picked up her consistency this year, and that’s made the difference. She’s worked very hard on her game to become a more consistent player and I think it really shows on the court."
Dorman, too, has provided just what the Little Tigers needed at first doubles. She has helped bring a consistency to the team as well as the knowledge of what it takes to win at the varsity level.
"Any time you have experience playing matches it helps," Heyman said. "There’s a lot to be learned when playing with a new partner."
For Dorman, it is her final year with the Little Tigers. Her lone regret is that she didn’t give up soccer a year earlier. But her senior year has lived up to her expectations just as has the PHS girls’ tennis team.
"I thought we were going to do well," Dorman said. "With all the returning players we had back, I knew we were going to have a strong lineup. If you look at our record, we’re doing well. I’m happy I was a part of it."
PHS is happy she is part of a team that has filled some big shoes and helped the Little Tigers get back to where they wanted to be, in a rematch with Wall.

