Redemption Reigns for D1 Champions
June 2, 2018
By John Walker
Special for Second Half
MIDLAND — Bloomfield Hills junior Tia Mukherjee got redemption, while the Northville girls tennis team eked out another title Saturday at the Lower Peninsula Division 1 Finals at the Greater Midland Tennis Center.
Mukherjee dominated for a 6-0, 6-0 win over Northville senior Shanoli Kumar in the championship match at No. 1 singles. Mukherjee lost 6-0, 6-0 last year in the finals to Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Kari Miller, and said that was motivation.
“It feels great after last year,” Mukherjee said. “That was tough. I didn’t want that to happen again. I was more prepared.
“I improved my fitness and my forehand. I did a lot of off-court conditioning. I didn’t have enough energy going into the finals last year.”
Bloomfield Hills coach Chris Dobson agreed.
“Her fitness level is better,” he said. “Plus another year of maturity, poise and confidence. It makes a difference. She was highly motivated coming in.”
“At the end of the day, Tia was amazing,” Northville coach Linda Jones said.
“I thought she is the best player in the state,” Dobson said, “and she proved it. She played her best match and earned it.”
Northville had to earn its title, too, edging Midland Dow 32-30. Bloomfield Hills was third with 28 points.
The Mustangs shared last year’s title with Dow. Dow won the 2016 title. Northville won in 2015. The two were at it again in 2018.
Northville entered Saturday with 24 points and eight players in the semifinals for the first time in school history. Dow had 23 points with seven players, as did Bloomfield Hills.
Northville won key semifinals matches against Dow at No. 2 and No. 3 singles and advanced six to the finals. Dow advanced five, while Bloomfield Hills advanced three and dropped from contention.
In the finals, Northville and Dow faced off at Nos. 1, 3 and 4 doubles. Dow got the first victory, at No. 3 doubles, and briefly tied the score with a win at No. 2 doubles. But Northville prevailed in the other head-to-head matches, clinching the crown with the win at No. 4 doubles.
“It’s so sweet,” Northville’s Jones said. “This year we lost three important seniors and were seeded No. 2 all season behind Dow. We came in as underdogs. The girls just played over their levels. It’s the most satisfying (title). Three-time state champs is not too bad.”
“Absolutely there’s disappointment,” Dow coach Garrett Turner said, “which is a good thing, I guess. It means we’re doing the right things. We win one of those matches and the nerves are shifted to them. It’s hard to be upset with a second-place finish. We had our chances.”
At No. 2 singles, Ann Arbor Huron junior Miriam Gandam, the No. 1 seed, defeated Northville sophomore Tori Mady, the No. 2 seed, 2-6, 6-0, 6-1. Mady, the 2017 champ at No. 4 singles, got a key semifinals win over Dow’s Zoe Angell, 7-6 (3), 6-1.
At No. 3 singles, Ann Arbor Skyline senior Caroline Cartwright, the No. 2 seed, defeated Northville junior Renee Torres, the No. 4 seed, 6-3, 6-2. Torres, the returning champ at No. 3 singles, upset Dow’s Sarah Ismail, the No. 1 seed and returning champ at No. 2 singles, in a key semifinal match, 6-3, 6-4.
At. No. 4 singles, Jenna Silverman, the No. 1 seed, rallied past Dow senior Hadley Camp, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (1) in a 2-hour, 57-minute match. Silverman also rallied for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 win in the semifinals over Northville’s Maya Mulchanandani. Camp was the Finals runner-up for the third straight year.
At No. 1 doubles, Northville senior Serena Wang and junior Sophie Zhuang, the No. 1 seed, defeated Dow seniors Tatum Matthews and Kelly Livingston, the No. 2 seed, 6-1, 6-4.
At No. 2 doubles, Dow junior Meghan Killmaster and sophomore Victoria Leiti, the No. 3 seed, defeated Bloomfield Hills senior Alandria Bellamy and sophomore Kaela Bernard, the No. 4 seed, 6-2, 6-2.
At No. 3 doubles, Dow seniors Giacomina Fabiano and Christina Vanderkelen, the No. 3 seed, defeated Northville junior Madison DeYoung and freshman Michelle Tong, the No. 4 seed, 6-2, 6-3.
At No. 4 doubles, Northville junior Connie Gao and freshman Sneha Ganan, the No. 2 seed, defeated Dow juniors Amelie Kraef and Reema Patel, the No. 1 seed, 6-4, 7-6 (1). Kraef and Patel came into Saturday without losing a set all season but had to rally for a 5-7, 6-1, 7-5 win in the semifinals.
PHOTOS: (Top) Bloomfield Hills' Tia Mukherjee prepares to return a shot during her No. 1 singles match Saturday. (Middle) Northville poses with its latest MHSAA Finals trophy. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)
Mattawan's Novaks Claim League Titles, Ready to Pursue Next Championship Goals
By
Pam Shebest
Special for MHSAA.com
May 17, 2022
MATTAWAN — In a family steeped in tennis history, one member is forging his own path.
Matt Novak has been tearing up the course as Mattawan’s top golfer.
The sophomore won the individual medalist honor in the 36-hole Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference Championship two weeks ago and carded the best nine-hole average in SMAC West matches this season.
“He’s having quite a year so far, and we are just very excited to take this ride with him,” Mattawan’s first-year coach Troy Pelak said.
Novak’s sister, Lizzie, is also having a stellar season as the Wildcats’ top tennis player.
She, too, won the SMAC Championship last weekend and, after recovering from an early-season injury, takes a 9-0 record into this week’s Regional.
“Her big win (this year) was vs. Forest Hills Northern (ranked No. 1 in the state in Lower Peninsula Division 2),” said Matt Boven, in his 24th season coaching the Wildcats.
Mattawan tennis is ranked sixth.
As a freshman, Lizzie Novak won the LPD2 Finals No. 2 singles title playing behind her sister, Kate, who is now playing tennis at Bucknell (Pa.) University.
COVID-19 caused Lizzie Novak’s sophomore season to be canceled, and she opted to play USTA tournaments her junior year but hopes to add one more MHSAA title to her resume.
If she does, she will finish with just one fewer than her dad, David Novak, who won three state titles at Hackett Catholic Central, one at No. 2 singles in 1983 and two at No. 1 singles (1985, 1986).
Matt Novak played tennis at a young age, but “I didn’t like it as much as my sisters did, so I decided to pursue golf more in the summer,” he said.
“I like that you’re really out there by yourself, and you’re playing against the course and not a specific person. You push yourself every single time you’re out there.”
The sophomore also plays hockey during the winter, which has helped his golf game.
“A couple of my coaches taught me how to be a good leader,” he said. “I think I translated a lot of my leader skills from hockey into golf.”
That includes his slap shot which “definitely helps with power off the tee in that long ball,” he said.
Pelak said although Matt is the youngest on the team, he is the team leader.
“We had an event earlier in the year and we took third of 21 teams,” Pelak said. “The team said, ‘This is pretty good,’ and Matt said, ‘Guys, we’re here to win, not place third.’ That’s the message he sent right away.”
Junior Will Kuiper said teammates have a lot of respect for Novak.
“He knows a lot about golf, and he wants to help the team get better,” Kuiper said. “He’ll help you after practice.
“He’ll be hard on us sometimes, but he just wants us to get better. He just wants the team to win.”
That passion for golf sometimes leaves Novak out of family chatter.
“I feel singled out at the dinner table when they’re all talking about their tennis and I’m over here just thinking about golf,” he said, laughing.
His sister agrees.
“We’ll go full tennis and Matt will go, ‘What about me?’ We’ll try to turn to him, but no one can relate to him as much,” she said.
“I think he has the attitude for tennis, but I think it’s kinda fun that he has something different from tennis. Golf is more exciting for him.”
The senior, who is headed to University of Richmond in the fall, is also a team leader.
“I feel I bring a lot of leadership and energy and excitement,” she said. “Some of these players are so much more inexperienced.
“I’m trying to get everyone together on and off the court. I’ve been having a blast. We’ve improved every week, and I hope we can make it to State.”
Tennis suits her, Lizzie Novak said.
“I feel like I’m kind of a control freak,” she said. “I like everything a certain way, and I don’t want someone else to mess up. I can mess up.”
She thanks her sister for steering her to tennis.
“I was obsessed with my sister when I was younger, and she started playing tennis, so that’s what I’ll do,” she said. “She quit dance, I quit dance. It worked, and I love it. It’s just like breathing to me at this point.”
The senior has one more weapon to help her: She’s a lefty which, at times, gives her an advantage since most players are used to facing righties.
“When I play someone left-handed, I’m like, this is terrible, but I like it,” she laughed.
Boven said Lizzie Novak brings power to the team.
“Having a star at No 1 singles puts her other teammates in a position to win,” he said. “It gives other opportunities and actually strengthens other flights.
“To have someone who’s basically a guaranteed point really does a great deal for the team.”
Other seniors on the tennis team are Romika Shokohi, Ashley Goding, Adelaide Douglass and Sloane Lohroff; juniors are Emma Coleman and Madison Pratt. Sophomores are Madison Engel and Kendall Coon, while freshmen are Sienna Watts, Nadia Baird and Emma Pratt.
Boven said it will be strange not having a Novak on a tennis team next year, but he still has hope.
Talking about trying to convince Matt Novak to play tennis, he said, “Absolutely I did, and I’m still trying to talk him into it. I hear he’s a natural, and tennis is in his blood.
“I love his personality. I think he could bring charisma and some talent to the team. So, yes, on a daily basis I’m trying to talk Matthew into playing tennis.”
That may be wishful hoping on Boven’s part.
Novak is totally focused on golf.
“We made it to Regionals but did not qualify for states last year, and I, sadly, didn't qualify (individually),” he said. “(This year) we’re strong, and we have to work on consistency.
“We definitely have a couple guys who can go low. It just matters if we can do it more than once, shoot a good round and the next day shoot a good round again.”
Pelak has six seniors on varsity: Logan McClish, Andrew Keorkunian, Jared Yetter, Zach Sylvester, Seth Reeves and Brady Weller.
Juniors include Blake Welch and Cameron Graver, and the other sophomore is Eason Haller.
Pelak said Novak possesses the qualities of a top golfer.
“In addition to scoring, which is obviously very important in golf, he plays with tremendous poise. His course management skills are off the chart,” Pelak said.
“He does a good job of not getting too high or low and really manages himself on the course with a lot of poise. He’s not emotional, which is perfect for a golfer.”
With two top athletes usually competing on the same day, the Novaks have come up with a plan.
“My mom (Meredith) usually likes to take the tennis and my dad likes golf,” Matt Novak said. “It gets too stressful watching my sister.”
Pam Shebest served as a sportswriter at the Kalamazoo Gazette from 1985-2009 after 11 years part-time with the Gazette while teaching French and English at White Pigeon High School. She can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Sister Lizzie and brother Matt Novak are among Mattawan athletes with high aspirations as their sports approach postseason play this spring. (2) From left, Mattawan girls tennis coach Matt Boven, boys golf coach Troy Pelak and golfer Will Kuiper. (3) Lizzie Novak returns a volley during a recent tennis practice. (4) Matt Novak putts during a golf practice. (Boven head shot courtesy of Mattawan’s girls tennis program; all other photos by Pam Shebest.)