FINAL SET: Princeton Day School boys’ tennis player Jaylen Peng prepares to hit a forehand in a match this spring. Senior Peng starred at third singles in his final campaign as the Panthers went 9-6 and reached the quarterfinal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public tournament. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
While the Princeton Day School boys’ tennis team lost to Morristown Friends in the quarterfinal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public tournament to end its season, it went out with a bang.
Playing at the second-seeded Foxes, the seventh-seeded Panthers put up quite a fight as they fell 3-2 with two of those defeats on the day coming in 10-point match tiebreaks after the first two sets were split.
PDS head coach Michael Augsberger liked the way his squad competed in the nip-and-tuck battle.
“I can say that we are really proud of that effort against Friends, you can see what they did against Christian Brothers in the final (a 4-1 loss),” said Augsberger, whose team ended the season with a 9-6 record. “Even though we go out early, we can say we would have given them the same kind of effort in the final.”
The Panthers got superb efforts at doubles against Moorestown Friends as first duo of Steven Li and Avi Saran and the second pair of Archie Douglas and Faizan Mohammad each posted straight-set wins.
“It looked like they were speeding off in the beginning,” said Augsberger. “They had to handle a really tough clawing back from their opponents and they were able to do that in both of those matches. We knew we had a deep team coming in. We had to rely on the doubles teams but they had to fend off hard charges at the end.”
At second singles, sophomore Abhishek Srinivasan showed his toughness in defeat as Jack Cramner edged him 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (13-11).
“Abhi won the first set and in the second set he kind of flagged a little bit and I said save some energy for the tiebreak so you can play with everything you have,” said Augsberger. “He got off to a good lead in the tiebreak, he was up 9-6 and that was to clinch the quarterfinal. Their kid hit this backhand down the line with Abhi at the net. It was a screeching, stretching backhand. It was an outstanding shot and Abhi even clapped his racket. It wasn’t like Abhi gave it to him, he really earned it. He made great shots to tie it up.”
Senior star Jaylen Peng gave his all at third singles but fell to Zev Smith who prevailed 7-5, 4-6, 1-0 (10-8).
“The way that match went, that kid played incredible defense, he was going back and forth on the baseline all day,” said Augsberger. “We tried to have Jaylen hit it past him, but the kid was too athletic for that. He was hitting bullets back. In the second set, Jaylen was in more control and mixing it up a little better, coming to the net trying to shorten points. He was able to get that second set and then in the tiebreak, it went basically back to 50/50 balls. They went to 10-8 in the tiebreaker, it was really incredible defense from their guy.”
With freshman Bryan Kim Short gaining valuable experience at first singles and nearly all of the team’s doubles players returning, Augsberger believes the program has a strong foundation in place.
“To have Bryan at first singles and to know that we have some younger guys coming up next year that are around that level is a huge boost for the team to have,” said Augsberger. “We had a much deeper team this year. Our second doubles won Preps and they were outstanding. At the end of the year we could count on our doubles teams to come through. We have everyone coming back on doubles except for Steven. Michael [Zhou] could also be interchangeable with the second doubles guys and even Jacobo [Garcia-Carillo]. He was in the lineup for the counties and he is a hell of an athlete.”
Senior Li gave the Panthers a big boost as he overcame an arm injury that could have sidelined him for the whole spring.
“Steven was an incredible soldier for us this year; to go from being injured and basically out for the season and to fight through that wrist injury and learn a one-handed backhand and to go from playing singles to playing doubles,” said Augsberger. “He was going through all of those changes and having to learn a new partner. When he has played doubles he has had new partners every year. We can’t say enough about what he has given the program and his maturity as a young man to fight through all of that adversity.”
The squad’s other senior, Peng, fought hard to end of his career.
“We gave the team award this year to Jaylen, Steven got it last year,” said Augsberger. “Jaylen’s maturity is phenomenal. He has become smarter, he has honed that power and that power has gotten even more immense I would say. When opposing teams look at him, they say he is a tennis player. He has got the movement, he has the reach at net and all of that. He had the best record on the team in terms of an individual.”
While the graduation of Li and Peng will leave a void for the Panthers, Augsberger is confident that his returners will step up.
“It is difficult when you have to lose two seniors who have been in the program and have really brought in and have such a high skill set,” said Augsberger. “Last year, we didn’t have to worry about losing anybody because we had those two big-time players still on the team. This time we have to go through that and think about replacing that. We are looking forward to some of the young guys coming up even though we have to say goodbye to those two. Those guys know when it is their time. It is going to be Avi’s time next year and Jacobo’s. It will be their time to lead and they have that in them.”