Holland set tone for whole PDS season
By: Justin Feil
Each flight in high school tennis can only win one match, and no one understands that any better than David Holland does.
Confident on the court, but humble off it, Holland doesn’t look at his job as any more important than anyone else’s on the Princeton Day School boys’ tennis team. But with him in the lineup, the Panthers don’t approach matches the same way most teams do.
They know full well what a help he is to the squad, beginning in practice and showing up in matches.
"He sets the tone early in a team match," said PDS head coach Rome Campbell. "We know as a team we have a chance to win because David is going to play well and hopefully get a W. That rejuvenates everyone’s attitude. We only need two out of four instead of three out five. We were blessed with Neil Karandikar and Bo Marshall this year. David loved having two high-caliber players to hit with every day in practice and to play with. It was a big plus. It was a great season."
Holland came into his junior year knowing it would be impossible to actually improve on his performance of the year before. As a sophomore, he was undefeated and won the Mercer County Tournament and Prep B state championships. This year, as a junior, he was unbeaten again at 21-0, defending his MCT and Prep B crowns. Only twice this year did an opponent win as many as four games off Holland in a set.
Holland was happy with his play, but what gave him the most pleasure was looking over at the other courts and seeing how the other PDS flights were following his lead. Holland led PDS to one of its best seasons in program history as the Panthers went 15-1, finished second in the MCT team standings and won the Prep B crown for the third straight year.
"The team aspect was great," said the Pennington resident. "We had almost a perfect season. That was the best part of the season.
"I kind of went into the season expecting a lot out of myself and expecting to go undefeated, and I wanted the team to do well. I couldn’t have asked for anything better."
David Holland is the Princeton Packet Boys’ Tennis Player of the Year.
"It’s not just about the W’s for David," Campbell said. "It’s about PDS wins and how the other players are doing. It’s a good situation. He’s wrapped up in a lot of individual tournaments where it’s all about the individual player and here he enjoys the camaraderie and how everyone contributes. He’s got a good head on his shoulders."
Campbell has seen Holland grow closer with his teammates through the years. He has developed into more of a leader in his third year of varsity, one that the Panthers can count on bringing them a win every time out.
"I certainly felt he improved dramatically from his sophomore year," Campbell said. "He’s made big steps from his freshman year. He’s on the fast track to becoming a very high caliber player. Unfortunately, we just play the area and prep teams. It’d be nice to see him go after the other state high level of players.
"I felt he was really focusing on improving his individual play. That’s how Coach (Will) Asch and I felt. He was not just winning matches, but really working on particular aspects of his game. He’s quite a hard worker and a dedicated player. There’s a lot to be said for David. I do think he made a big dramatic jump in all three years so far. Particularly his baseline service game was certain a force."
Being left-handed already gives Holland something different for opponents to figure out, but then he has grown and matured in his three high school seasons. He picked and chose his spots to work on his own game, but this year he worked on getting through the season unscathed and prepared for a difficult summer and fall tournament season.
"I think this year, I just kind of went into it a little lighter and not taking matches as seriously and as intensely," Holland said. "Maybe people expected me to have better scores than I did, but I got the job done. Last year I was intense and tried not to lose a game. This year, I tried to pace myself. Last year, I got injured after the high school season. I wasn’t going to the gym as much and I wasn’t getting the prevention."
Holland kept up with his off-court workouts this year while continuing to dominate on the court. It was a valuable lesson he learned from last year, part of the maturation process. As he has grown, he has seen the Panther program rise.
"The rest of the players admire his dedication to the sport and work ethic," Campbell said. "They know he’s playing 24-7-365. They admire that. I certainly feel he raises the level of play of everyone around him. There’s confidence, team unity, everyone pulling for each other. He’s always interested in other matches that are going on. He wants to know how everyone else is doing. He’s going to be our captain next year. I’m sure everyone will look to him for the leadership he gives to everyone on the team. He’s a very confident kid and it certainly rubs off and affects all the other kids on the team. It certainly helps everyone’s level of play.
"I think it’s very important for the No. 1 singles and very admirable to be concerned about everyone else on the team. Not in our situation at PDS, but sometimes a person can be selfish. That’s not the case at PDS. Generally we’ve had strong players that set the example. He sets the standard for No. 1 players we have."
Holland already started to settle into that leadership role naturally as the first singles player for the Panthers. He has been as concerned with elevating the level of play of his teammates a much as his own play.
"We didn’t have that many practices," Holland said. "I tried to help them a little with minor things in practice. Getting them to be better practice players and getting them to take it more seriously. I feel like I did a good job of supporting them in their tough matches, cheering them on. That’s where I helped them out this year."
As for his own improvements, they may not have time to show up in many matches because he ends them so quickly. Even at a high level, however, Holland has continued to fine-tune his weapons.
"In high school, it was tough to show my differences," he said. "I think I’ve improved a lot. I’ve been playing well out of school. In school, I was having trouble finding a rhythm. It was tough to show my best. But I improved in all aspects my serve, my groundstrokes, I’m moving the ball around a lot better.
"Both the Mercer County semifinal and final were tough. I was a little tired and wasn’t playing too well. It was tough to pull those out. Those were toughest matches I played all year. They were equal in difficulty. You play these guys who aren’t as good as Leland (Richardson) and Lance (Goulbourne) and it’s hard to turn up your game that fast. I hadn’t been playing that much out of high school."
This summer, Holland continues to play high-level competition in preparation for his senior year. In the midst of his tournament schedule, he is also doing college visits to narrow the choice of schools that can vie for his talents that are still developing.
"Just the fact, as I keep growing and keep putting on weight, I’m just going to keep getting better naturally," Holland said. "I’ve been practicing a lot. I feel I can hit winners from anywhere on court and I can move the ball around better. Gradually I’m improving."
As Holland has improved, so have the Panthers. It made his junior year which otherwise in individual record and accomplishments looks the same as last spring his best yet. And it’s not likely to get any easier next year.
"He’s the kind of player that can take it to a different level and really press an opponent to stay with him," Campbell said. "I think he’s the best player we’ve had at Princeton Day in my 24 seasons. We’ve had some great players. As junior, what he’s done already and where he’s going (is unmatched).
"He’s become a complete team player for us as far as the support he provides for us. As has always been the case, he really embraces the team concept and realizes he’s only one of five points to a team. He understands that. He understands it’s just as important for second doubles to win as for him. That’s been a nice thing to see."