LINWOOD — The Mustang tennis team is off to an unbeaten start to the season with seven straight wins, including its latest 4-1 victories over Middle Township and Ocean City on April 9 and 10.
The team is motivated to seek another South Jersey sectional title and has the added motivation of supporting longtime coach Chris Connolly, whose wife died earlier this month after a years-long battle with cancer.
Eileen Fortis, the Mainland Regional High School girls tennis coach, stepped into the boys head coach role this season while Connolly spent more time with his wife.
“Of course we’d love to leave this season as South Jersey champs,” Fortis said last week, noting “the guys have rallied behind and dedicated the season to Con and his wife.
“They already have their motivation, but that is a little bit more for them,” she added.
Fortis pointed out that perennial South Jersey title contender Moorestown has moved to the Central Jersey sectional, but the Mustangs still have to contend with teams including Shawnee and Ocean City, which beat Shawnee for the South Jersey title last season. The Red Raiders returned only one starter from that team.
“We’re really happy with the way the boys have been playing. So far, so good,” she said.
The Mustangs returned first singles player Saketh Agava.
“He was outstanding last year and is playing really well so far this year, knock on wood that that continues,” Fortis said.
Sophomore Luigi Batioja moved from first doubles last season to second singles this season.
“He worked so hard over the off-season and has improved tremendously. He has been really solid at second singles so far. I’m really pleased about that. He’s a great kid and he deserves to be playing this well with how hard he worked over the offseason. I’m really happy for him,” she said.
Third singles, Fortis said, was “a little bit of a shocker” with Owen Medland earning that position.
“We thought Owen was going to be a doubles guy for us because that was what his speciality was, but he worked his way up the ladder. He also worked a bit in the offseason. He has been our third singles guy and he is tough. He’s got the mindset of the competitor. He doesn’t always match up skill-wise with some of the other guys, but his determination and competitive spirit have taken him to victories we weren’t sure were going to happen,” Fortis said.
First doubles features senior Liam Angelo, who was second doubles last year. He is partnered with sophomore Laksh Patel, “who worked with Luigi all off-season … and improved tremendously. They’ve been playing very well together. They never played together before, but the chemistry has come along. They’ve done a real nice job together. They communicate well.”
Seniors Chad Ross and Clark Vaccaro were the first JV doubles last year and earned their way to second doubles on varsity this season courtesy of the hard work they put in to their tennis games during the offseason, the coach said.
“They’re a little unconventional in the way that they play but they work together really well. Clark is really strong with his serve and his volleys and overhead and Chad sometimes has these beautiful volleys and once in a while pulls out these serves. They had a little drop-off against Egg Harbor Township after we beat the Prep, but other than that have come out really strong,” Fortis said.
The first JV doubles this year, sophomores Liam Blake and Jake Reynolds, are almost on par with the varsity first and second doubles and could see some varsity action at some point this season.
So far this season the Mustangs also have wins over Vineland, Oakcrest, Millville, St. Augustine Prep and Egg Harbor Township.
They earned the first seed in the South Jersey sectional last year but lost to Shawnee in the semifinals. The Mustangs finished last season with a 16-4 record, splitting matches with S.J. champ Ocean City and also falling to Lenape and St. Joseph.
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
