Li, Ravi are experienced leaders
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Angela Li and Sanjana Ravi rallied to help lift the West Windsor-Plainsboro South girls tennis team to an encouraging 3-2 win over Princeton High on Thursday.
The Pirates have rallied as a team after they got a bit of a shock to start the season.
In addition to last year’s second singles’ Haley Rich leaving the sport to run cross country this fall, last year’s first singles’ Claudia Siniakowicz also elected not to play this fall while concentrating on her individual game.
”Because we lost the top two members, I thought it would be pretty tough but our team has pulled through,” said Li, one of four senior captains for the Pirates, who are now 4-0 overall. “We had a nice win over Princeton.”
It didn’t look good at the start. PHS’ Christina Rosca was a straight sets winner over Caroline Zhou at first singles and the Little Tigers’ Rory Lewis defeated Stephanie Ji, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, at third singles. PHS also won the first set in both of the doubles matches.
”I think they’re fast courts in Princeton,” said WW-P South head coach Carla Crawbuck. “At Mercer County (Park), it bounces and hops up. Both doubles lost the first set. I think it was an adjustment. They did the preseason at Mercer County. We have to play them again. It’s coming along. This was a good test. They knew they have to perform without these two girls that didn’t come back.”
Angela Weng beat Katelyn Hojeibane at second singles in straight sets for WW-P South’s first point Thursday. At first doubles, Li and Ravi rallied for a 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 win before Margaret MacArthur and Kimberly Wong took the decisive point with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win at second doubles.
”It gives us confidence into thinking we can go really far in tournaments,” Ravi said. “It shows us if we work hard, we can achieve wins and win more games.”
With a singles lineup that is entirely new, the Pirates will be looking to their doubles for leadership and a calming effect. Li and Ravi are ready for that new role.
”Because we’re both captains this year, I feel like the team sort of expects because we have that experience, for us to win,” Li said. “We want to be that steady hand in matches. Sanjana and I are definitely aiming higher this year. It’s our last year, we’re going to give it our all.”
Their strength and patience were tested after they lost the first set against PHS. They knew they had to rally to overcome a significant challenge.
”In the first set, Angela’s racket, the string broke and that got us a little off road,” Ravi said. “Then we changed our mentality and became more aggressive and we went to net more often which helped us win more points. We tried to forget about the first set and thought it was like a new game.”
They reached the state doubles quarterfinals as sophomores. There is no pair more experienced than Li and Ravi, who are in their fourth season together.
”I feel like we’ve become calmer,” Ravi said. “We know what to expect. We both know each other’s strong points and weak points. We try to put more emphasis on the strong points and play our best.”
Added Li: “We have a really good chemistry on the court. I can’t picture myself playing doubles with anyone else.”
One of their first jobs as captains this year was to pull the team together after it found out that neither of its top two players from a year ago would be returning. The captains made sure there was no panic.
”We didn’t know our No. 1 wasn’t coming until the first day of tryouts,” Ravi said. “Everyone freaked out a little bit. We had a bonding night and it brought everyone closer.”
Li and Ravi have plenty on their plate with tennis, college applications and now being captains, but they look at tennis as an escape from their other pressures, and the chance to be team leaders is something they have embraced. Megan Reilly and MacArthur are also captains.
”It gives us a new role for responsibility to take care of the team and make sure we’re all together,” Ravi said. “It helps us cheer on each other easier. It makes our team closer together. It’s like a new role for us. We’re like role models for the younger girls.”
The two continue to work at setting good examples for their teammates. On the court, they are working to make this year their most successful.
”We both want to work on our net play because doubles definitely revolves around net play,” Li sad. “And we want to improve our serves and consistency, the things you can always work on. Haddonfield and Millburn, they focus on net play. Every time we play them, we haven’t won. We’re aspiring to be better than them.”
The Pirates players came back this fall looking better than a year ago. Their off-season work has paid off as they jumped to higher spots than expected.
”They aren’t slackers,” Crawbuck said. “They know they have to work hard. I was going to have a 1, 2 and 3 back. They were trying to vie for that extra alternate position, and they were trying to get in the top seven. The girls knew at the end of the school year, at the end of June that one wasn’t coming back, and I think they tried to get up there. They worked hard.”
Li and Ravi have grown each year in their play. They have gone from being inconsistent freshmen that were thrown together to level-headed seniors that anchor a lineup that is inexperienced in its spots.
”When we were freshmen, we didn’t really play a doubles game because we never played together,” Ravi said. “It was like a singles game. Now after four years together, we play together. We’re making fewer mistakes. Communication is essential. We motivate each other, which really helps us.
”We’ve become best friends from tennis. We understand each other a lot. We don’t have to communicate a lot, but now it’s easier to communicate with each other.”
Their bond has already paid benefits on and off the court this season. The Pirates are hoping it’s just the start of what will be a big season despite some significant player losses. It’s the final season for Li and Ravi, and they want to enjoy every second of it.
”The connection we have on the team is beyond what I was expecting before high school,” Li said. “I view the tennis team as my second family. I don’t think my high school would be as interesting or fulfilling if I never joined the tennis team.”
Li calls Ravi her “other half” on the tennis court. They have become best friends off the court, and that has helped solidify their play. The season may not have started exactly as they pictured, but it can still finish the way they have dreamed.
”I feel like we’re still a good school even though we lost our two players,” Ravi said. “I feel like we’ll still have that in our tennis team. And our coach, Coach Carla, she’s an amazing woman and she’s a good coach. She pushes us to do our best.”
Said Li “It would be great if Claudia and Haley were there, but the captains decided we just want to make this the best season we can have. We want to go farther that we have. That’s our goal.”