Thursday, October 25, 2007

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

EDISON – With each passing victory over an impressive opponent, the members of the Tenafly girls’ tennis team felt an odd mixture of confidence and awe all at the same time. The confidence was because the Tigers realized that they could play with and beat just about any team in New Jersey. The awe was because they realized they could beat just about any team in New Jersey, which was completely unexpected from a team with modest expectations coming into the season.

Win or lose, the end would come on Wednesday in the Tournament of Champions final against Millburn, the defending champion. Although the Tigers fought valiantly, Millburn showed why it is considered one of the strongest teams in state history.

Tenafly got wins from Courtney Lee and Alli Grabell at second and third singles, but it could not get a third point as Millburn swept the other three matches in straight sets to win its second straight T of C title and run its winning streak to 68 matches with a 3-2 verdict.

“It means a lot to be part of a winning tradition here,” said Millburn’s Cara Paley. “We knew Tenafly was a good team just by getting this far. Emily (Bary) and I knew it could come down to our match and we had to come through.”

Millburn scored the first two points of the match, just as they did in the T of C semifinal win over IHA. Also just like that match, Millburn’s opponent refused to go away quietly.

State singles runner-up Rachel Cantor was on her game at first singles against Tenafly’s Akiko Okuda. Even though Okuda made some tremendous gets throughout the match, those points usually ended with a winner by Cantor. She was in a zone from start to finish in a 6-2, 6-1 victory.

Millburn also had the runner-up in the state doubles tournament in their first doubles tandem of Gabrielle Pritsker and Carly Tonelli. They led 3-1 in the first set before getting into a marathon game against Ellyn and Renee Kojanis. It went to eight deuces before Tonelli’s winner put away the game and shifted the momentum to their side for good. The Millburn duo did not drop another game in a 6-1, 6-0 triumph.

“We knew what we were up against, but all of us played hard every single point,” said Tenafly’s Renee Kojanis. “I don’t think any of us could have expected to have the experience we all had together. To play against a team that is the defending champion and knowing that we were right there with them shows what type of team we are and how much we achieved this season. It is an experience I’ll always cherish and one I’ll never forget.”

The Tigers got a point back when Courtney Lee polished off a perfect 29-0 season with a stellar performance at second singles. The freshman’s quick reflexes with both hands and her feet were on full display against another talented freshman Zoe Childs. Lee took control by getting breaks early in both sets on her way to a 6-3, 6-3 win.

Alli Grabell dropped her first set against Sabrina Fedele, 6-3, before getting on track. Once she did, the match had turned completely in her favor. She won the second set 6-0 and was ready to put the match away. Unfortunately, she never got that chance.

In the interim between her second and third sets, Paley and Bary held serve to close out their match against Danielle Claisse and Rachel Gerber and give Millburn back-to-back Tournament of Champions titles. They are the first team to go back-to-back since Newark Academy, which won seven straight titles with the last coming in 2002.

“We were getting nervous because we had a hunch that it was going to come down to our match,” said Millburn’s Emily Bary. “But we were prepared for the pressure and we just had to go out and play our match. I think we have really good coaching and that helps us in the big matches. Getting a quick lead in the second set really gave us a boost. It allowed us to take more chances with having a cushion to fall back on.”

Fedele retired, giving Grabell the win, her 28th of the season. It also provided the final margin and an end to an unforgettable season for Tenafly. The Lady Tigers finished with a school-record 24 wins against just the one loss. They are also the first Bergen County team to reach the Tournament of Champions final since Ramapo in both 1994 and 1995. Their place in history is not lost on head coach Anthony Zorovich.

“This has just been an unbelievable season,” said Zorovich, a former star at Seton Hall University. “We didn’t win today, but we hung in there against the best team in the state. To lose to a great team like this is nothing to be ashamed of. As much success as we had this season, the key is that we did it as a team.”

“I think it got to the point that the girls’ motivation to win was that they the season could keep going and they could spend more time together as a team. On top of the wins and all of the success we had on the court, the team-based atmosphere we have here is more important and more special than anything I could have asked for.”

TO BUY A COLLECTOR'S PRINT OF THIS GAME STORY, PLEASE VISIT 4FeetGrafix.com.