By Matthew Rocco
A year after winning a trifecta of postseason titles, the Holmdel High School boys tennis team is looking for a younger group to shine in 2016.
First singles star Michael Chen has graduated, so several Hornets are moving up the ladder to fill the void. But the Hornets will retain a deep roster that should keep Holmdel in the playoff conversation. Overall, the Hornets are returning five of their seven starters from 2015.
“It has to be more of a team effort,” head coach Chuck Chelednik said. “We’re pretty even one through seven.”
Starting the spring in the No. 1 slot is sophomore Justin Wain, who showed a lot of promise as part of Holmdel’s first doubles tandem last year. Wain is one of the up-and-comers to watch in the Shore Conference.
Junior Harrison Lin is moving up from third singles to second singles. Senior Dennis Barlotta, who played second singles last year, is penciled in at third singles. Chelednik said the order could change as the season progresses.
“All three are capable of beating anybody if they play consistent and play smart,” Chelednik said. “Justin is only a sophomore, so this will be a good experience for him going forward. He’s playing with a lot of confidence right now. He’s just got to keep that confidence.”
Holmdel has paired returning players Charles Jiang and Blain Liang at first doubles. Jiang and Liang have experience working together. After playing second doubles in 2015, the two seniors bring plenty of experience to the Hornets this season.
“They have a good relationship and good chemistry. They also got some experience at first doubles last year. I expect those two to get better as the year goes on,” Chelednik said.
Freshmen Alex Tsai and Brian Chu will round out the top seven as Holmdel’s second doubles tandem.
The Hornets, a powerhouse in New Jersey tennis, always face high expectations. Last season, they swept the Monmouth County, Shore Conference and NJSIAA Group II tournaments. Holmdel advanced as far as the semifinals of the Tournament of Champions, where they lost to fellow powerhouse Livingston High School.
Holmdel will face its first big test of the spring this weekend at an invitational hosted by Delbarton School — another perennial postseason rival of the Hornets.
“We’ll see how they respond,” Chelednik said.
Before heading to Delbarton, the Hornets were slated to battle Manasquan High School April 5. The Hornets also had a road match against St. John Vianney High School April 6 before hosting Monmouth Regional High School April 7.
