Wooster High tennis team serves up a good start

As the 2011 tennis season dawned, Wooster High tennis coach Stan Burris knew he had some experience on his roster to go along with a number of questions. Any coach, of course, has that feeling, but Burris’ questions were amplified by a strong schedule right out of the gate.Two weeks into the season, the Generals “have been solid so far” as they have muted those concerns by winning four of their first five matches.“We’ve played some good teams, going against Shaker and Medina, and we’ve had different kids step up at different times,” said Burris. “Everyone seems to be clicking along and I hope it continues. Our leadership at the top has been good. We have a senior at first singles, at first doubles and a senior at second doubles. They are spread out and they have done a nice job of leading the way so far.”That group has been instrumental in helping the Generals win some tough early matches. Three of the matches – Shaker Heights, Medina and Jackson – have all been 3-2 scores to go along with a 5-0 rout of GlenOak. The lone loss was a 3-2 setback to Mayfield in Wooster’s opening Coaches Tournament match.Sami Murphy has been strong out of the gate, going 4-1 at first singles. Classmate Ally Huttinger and Allie Vanata have locked into the first and second doubles spots, respectively, and they have had a key part in the team’s early success.“That’s been a nice foundation and I’ve been real pleased so far,” said Burris. “We’ve had a couple girls step in and play third singles, but we haven’t switched up the doubles. We’ve had the same lineup so far, but I’m confident we can go deeper without losing much. That’s a nice situation to have. If someone isn’t feeling well, someone else can step in and play.“Sami is 4-1 and she has beaten everyone except the girl from Mayfield,” he added. “She’s a leader. She works hard in practice and comes on the court and leads by example. She plays the best player for each team. When she competes and works hard, everyone else follows suit. All three of our seniors are providing nice leadership.”That is reflected in the doubles play as well, and that is especially the case at first doubles as the team of Huttinger and Claire Ballard is 5-0. “They lost a set against Jackson, but that’s been it,” said Burris. “They have been real strong.”At second doubles, Vanata and Maggie Guttman have a winning record as they are 3-2.“We’ve had a couple different people play singles,” said Burris. “Amanda Petit is our usual No. 2; Ally Bucher usually plays 3 but she has played some at 2. At No. 3, she is 2-0. Jenna Roberts is 1-1 at third and Corinne Landers is 0-1 at third, so we’ve had a little mix there.”The Generals had a busy week, with three matches in three days midweek against Wadsworth and Canton Central Catholic, followed by its Ohio Cardinal Conference opener against Orrville. The Generals then were scheduled to play at Dover Sept. 3.“Hopefully this (start) tells the kids they can compete,” said Burris. “Everyone is in a different spot (from last year) except Sami, so hopefully this gives them the confidence so when kids get into a third set of match they can dig deep. The biggest thing in high school tennis is being consistent, having consistent serves, consistent returns, and making the shot when you have to.“I’m happy to see them compete,” he added. “As long as we’re competing hard and working hard, that’s what you learn from. We need to do our best and so far, we’ve done a nice job of that.”