THREE-PEAT: Members of the Princeton Day School girls’ tennis team are all smiles after they won the program’s third straight state Prep B title last Thursday. Pictured, from left to right, are head coach Ed Tseng, Anna Kovacevich, Devika Kumar, Emily Dyckman, Maria Martinovic, Renee Karchere-Sun, Arya Jha, and assistant coach Trevor Campbell.

While the Princeton Day School was confident that it could win a third straight state Prep B title, things didn’t go as planned in the opening day of this year’s tourney.

Falling at first singles and first doubles, PDS found itself trailing Gill St. Bernard’s 8-7 coming into the finals last Thursday.

“Even before the season began, we thought we had a shot at counties and preps but nothing is guaranteed in sports,” said PDS head coach Ed Tseng.

“I was a little concerned, both of those are matches we could have won. You want to have all five through to the finals.”

On the ride to the finals at the Garden State Tennis Center in Edison, Tseng had a clear message to PDS’s remaining players, Maria Martinovic at second singles, Emily Dyckman at third singles, and the pair of Anna Kovacevich and Arya Jha at second doubles.

“We definitely wanted it; we were only behind by one point,” said Tseng. “I told the girls that all three needed to win for us to get the title outright, otherwise we could tie or lose. I have been instilling in them the idea that I don’t care if you lose but play how you play and give it your best effort.”

Tseng got good efforts across the board from his players as PDS won all three flights to edge Gill and earn the Prep B three-peat.

The team of Kovacevich and Jha gave the Panthers an early lift. “The second doubles got done first, the other team, Montclair Kimberley, was
pretty good,” said Tseng.

“We were able to beat them to the net. Anna and Arya are a nice team, they peaked at the right time. They gained some experience from playing strong teams. The combination of peaking and believing in themselves was key.”

Senior star and co-captain Martinovic punctuated her superb autumn as she added the Prep B second singles title to the county crown she won in the flight.

“Maria had a tough match, the score didn’t indicate how tough it was,” said Tseng.

“It was straight sets but there were a lot of long games. It was closer than the score. That was big. Maria has had a great season. She is a great No. 2. She would be No. 1 on most teams and she is a great leader.”

Dyckman found herself in a tough match at third singles as she looked to clinch the title for the Panthers.

“Emily won the first set, which was key because she had a good opponent,” said Tseng.

“She was a consistent player. It was like playing against a wall, she hits everything back at you. You can try to be consistent back but she is better at that; or try a blend of aggressiveness and consistency. In the second set, Emily played her opponent’s game and they split sets.”

Trailing early in the third set, senior standout and co-captain Dyckman found the right blend of aggressiveness and consistency to pull out the victory.

“She was down love-3 but I know from experience that it ain’t over until it’s over, as Yogi Berra says,” said Tseng.

“She kept battling and battling and before you know it, she won six games in a row. I told her you have got to go for it and do what it takes to win. You can be more comfortable and play it safe and lose.”

Dyckman’s win triggered an emotional response from the team. “I am really happy for Emily, I know how much she loves the game and what this means to her,” said Tseng. “The team sprinted on the court and hugged her when it was over.”

While Tseng would have preferred to see his team cruise to the title, he acknowledged that it was special to win it the hard way.

“I would have liked it to be done the first day,” said Tseng. “I would prefer that it is not close but at the same time when it is close and you win, that makes it that much sweeter. Winning a country or prep title never gets old. This is the deepest team I have had since I have been at PDS. From the 1st singles to the 2d doubles, this is the most talent I have had.”

In achieving the three-peat, the team showed class to go with its talent. “It’s special to win three years in a row, nothing is guaranteed in sports,” said Tseng.

“It is nice for the players to do it for themselves and for the team. I always tell them that they are not just playing for themselves, they are representing PDS and the town of Princeton.”