Chang takes aim at final tennis tourney

Senior at first singles for Knights

By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
   Steady improvement has taken Caroline Chang to the top of the West Windsor-Plainsboro North girls’ tennis lineup in four short years.
   The senior got a late start in her tennis career, later than most first singles players on solid high school teams.
   ”I actually started in seventh grade,” Chang said. “I started swimming before and I switched to tennis.”
   She quickly made up for lost time. After two years of playing for the Community Middle School team, she made WW-P North’s squad as a freshman at second doubles. She has climbed the ladder steadily since then, rising to third singles as a sophomore, then to second singles as a junior.
   Chang will play at the top of the ladder at first singles when the fifth-seeded Knights open the Central Jersey Group III state tournament at No. 4 Ocean Township on Friday.
   ”As a senior, it’s your last year,” Chang said. “We just try even harder to make it the best year.
   ”We have four (seniors). We keep pushing ourselves and each other. We’ll always be there for each other. We’re all wanting the best season ever.”
   Also in CJ III, second-seeded Princeton High School hosts No. 7 Jackson Liberty on Friday. West Windsor-Plainsboro South is the top seed in CJ IV and hosts No. 16 Monroe Township today with the winner facing No. 8 Hillsborough or No. 9 South Brunswick on Friday. Seventh-seeded Montgomery hosts Steinert today with the winner facing either No. 2 East Brunswick or No. 15 Manalapan on Friday.
   Chang will be playing her fourth state tournament in a new position. She is adjusting this season to playing at the top of the lineup.
   ”It’s been tougher as I moved up because the players got stronger moving from second to first,” Chang said. “I have to work harder in order to play against the other players. The first singles at other schools are strong.”
   Chang has been a solid contributor in her first three seasons with the Knights. She prepared herself to be just as strong at first singles.
   ”I practiced more and played harder,” Chang said. “I tried to change some stuff. I tried strengthening my endurance and footwork and I tried to improve all my strokes. I just put a little more out for each aspect. It did help.
   ”There’s a lot more pressure and a lot more competitiveness and the players are a lot stronger. Some people are very experienced.”
   Chang may not have as much experience as many at first singles, but she has proven strong in her first season playing there. She reached the back draw final at the Mercer County Tournament. Playing the MCT helps all the Knights as they prepare for Ocean.
   ”We saw a lot of very good teams play,” Chang said. “We know what to expect. We did well this year. First doubles did well. There were many great matches that we played.”
   That experience should serve the Knights well. WW-P North, which fell to Princeton last year in the CJ III semifinals, doesn’t know what to expect from Ocean.
   ”If we’re playing someone we don’t really know,” Chang said, “you have to treat them as a top player and put everything out there. And try your hardest and put all your efforts into it.”
   Chang is hoping to add some state tournament wins to her senior year before she hopes to play at the club level in college. Her final scholastic season has started with promise.
   ”It’s pretty good,” Chang said. “There were some tough times, but it’s all turned out pretty well.”
   Caroline Chang has moved up the Knights ladder each season. She’s at the top now, in perfect position as she hopes to extend WW-P North’s state tournament.
   ”There’s a lot more to come,” she said.