Post-Tribune

 

By Michael Osipoff

How good is the Munster girls tennis team?

The Mustangs have visions of potentially pulling off a triple crown, so to speak -- team state title, singles state title, doubles state title.

That good.

Munster has been the state runner-up three straight seasons, all to four-time defending champion Park Tudor.

Senior Mary Hill placed third in the state in singles last season.

And doubles?

The Mustangs add freshman Bobbi Modesto, who is expected to pair at No. 1 doubles with junior Rachael Heiniger, who played No. 2 doubles last season.

Modesto is the middle daughter of coach Bob Modesto, after Maureen Modesto starred for four seasons as the Mustangs' No. 1 singles player and currently plays at Missouri as a sophomore.

"The big story for us is the addition of Bobbi," Bob Modesto said.

"She has a different style of game, a different style of play from Maureen. She's a good doubles player, with big offensive weapons. She's a banger -- she's trying to win the point in two or three hits, four or five at the most. I certainly wouldn't want to play doubles against her -- she can hurt you, and she can hurt you physically, she pounds the ball so hard. I've told her to be careful not to hurt people. My advice to other teams -- play two back."

Even at, oh, about 4-foot-11 and maybe 100 pounds. She turns, coils and creates such torque, generating uncanny power, hitting with two hands off both sides.

Overall, the Mustangs return six of their seven starters from last season's team that lost 4-1 to Park Tudor in the state title match, with No. 1 doubles player Samantha Tantillo graduating.

Hill, who has signed a national letter of intent with Coastal Carolina; junior Christina Lee, whose only loss last season came in the state title match; and junior Kristina Kovacich, the hero of Munster's 3-2 semifinal victory over Zionsville, all are back in the singles spots. And junior Vanessa Sepiol, who played No. 1 doubles last season, and sophomore Kamryn Klawitter, who played No. 2 with Heiniger, are slated to play No. 2 doubles.

"I told the girls we're not planning to make any adjustments to the lineup -- we hope we won't have to make adjustments," said Modesto, who expected Park Tudor (which last season had two senior starters, its No. 1 doubles team that was the state runner-up in three sets) and Carmel to be among the state title contenders, with South Bend St. Joseph's, and perhaps Penn, as Munster's top semistate challengers.

In her first crack at playing No. 1 singles for the Mustangs, Hill lost in the individual state semifinals in three sets to eventual champion Caroline Hedrick of Columbus North, before bouncing back to place third. She has a stunning career record of 79-1.

"Mary looks really good," Modesto said. "She was a co-captain last year, and she's the sole captain this year. She takes that role pretty well. She's a great leader, a great person. I've always been a big Mary Hill fan. Our only hiccup was the state semifinals. We hope we can redeem ourselves and get that match back, and get a win there."