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Central, Maryvale tennis building for future success
 | | SERVE'S UP...Maryvale senior Supinder Metta serves against Cheektowaga Central during Monday's match. (Times photo) |
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A couple of fifth-year girls tennis coaches are hoping almost entirely new starting lineups can change around the luck of their programs in the short- and long-term future.
Cheektowaga Central, which returns just one starter in senior captain Jen Carr at first singles, is coming off a season in which it went 2- 10 in Erie County Interscholastic Conference-III.
Jason Krasinski returns to coach the rebuilding Lady Warriors. Krasinski, who also coaches the Central boys tennis team in the spring, said his team's numbers are low- with just 10 varsity athletes- although Central implemented a junior varsity squad for the first time ever. Nine freshmen comprise the Lady Warriors' J.V. team.
"It should solidify the program here for a while," Krasinski, who has 16 years of overall tennis coaching experience at Central, said of the J.V. addition. "There's been some more interest from the younger groups."
In addition to Carr, this season's varsity starters will also include: Melanie Grzebinski, junior, second singles; Lisa Janik, junior, first-year player at third-singles; juniors Julie Laffrado and Cara Czaplicki, first doubles; and senior Zabrina Turnbull and sophomore Allissa Kozakiewicz, second doubles.
 | | HAND-EYE COORDINATION...Cheektowaga Central senior Jen Carr serves against Maryvale during first singles in the Lady Warriors' 4-1 win Monday. (Times photo) |
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Juniors Maddy Recyne and Maria Lesinski comprise Central's third doubles squad. Senior Allie Mikolajek rounds out the roster.
Central upended Maryvale on the road Monday, 4-1.
Lisa Bock returns as coach of the Lady Flyers and has a senior-laden roster, albeit one that features several first-year athletes.
Senior captain and fourth-year starter Supinder Metta is the team leader at first singles, while fellow senior Brittany Syrell will start at second singles.
Other Maryvale starters will likely include: sophomore Megan Friol, third singles; sophomore Emily Sajecki and senior Brynn Johnson, first doubles; and seniors Sara Fronczak and Beth Koerber, second doubles.
Maryvale is coming off a season in which it went just 1-11 in ECICIII play. Bock said her team can play well against the middle-of-the-pack teams in the league.
'We're not quite at the level of teams like Amherst, but we can be competitive against Cheektowaga, Starpoint, teams like that," said Bock, whose team has 10 seniors.
Central returns to action tomorrow at home against Depew, while Maryvale hosts Amherst. Both matches are at 4:30 p.m.
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