The HVCHS tennis staff has called sophomore Brianna Shvets the best girls player in school history. (Staff photo by Samantha Sciarrotta.)
In its 50th year of putting some of the area’s finest tennis players on display, the Jack Cryan Tournament produced a champion not only on the court, but off it as well.
That’s the basic feeling people have about Brianna Shvets.
The Hopewell Valley Central High School sophomore is almost too good to be true. She is a great player, and an equally great person.
Her greatness on the court has translated into a national ranking in the United States Tennis Association (USTA). She is currently playing in the USTA National 14s and 16s age group and the Sectional 18s age group.
In her national rankings, she reached a top 30 ranking playing in 12s, a top 60 playing in 14s and a top 80 in 16s. In her Middle States sectional ranking, she was No. 1 in 12s, is No. 2 in 14s and No. 3 in 16s, despite not turning 15 until later this month.
Last year, as a Bulldogs’ freshman, she reached the Mercer County Tournament finals. Although she has opted not to play high school tennis this year in order to focus on USTA tennis and her school work, Shvets is still making an impact in the area.
In early August, she became the youngest player to ever win an Open Division of the prestigious Cryan Tournament at Mercer County Park.
“It definitely feels great to win the Cryan,” she said. “It is such a big deal around here and it is an honor not only to be the youngest to win it, but also win the 50th. I was so overwhelmed with joy that it really only hit me the next day when I woke up. All my friends, family, coaches that came to watch really just made the moment perfect.”
And while no one is perfect, Shvets comes pretty darn close according to knowledgeable local tennis people.
HVCHS coach Dave Burchell said that, “In my 42 years of coaching tennis she is the most talented player I ever had.” Long-time Bulldogs assistant Mike Ehrenberg said, “She is the best girl in HVCHS history.”
That kind of success and those kinds of compliments can turn anyone into an egomaniac, but Shvets remains grounded, modest and humble.
“She is one of the nicest young women I’ve ever coached,” Burchell said. “For her talent she is as modest and friendly as you can ask. And she shares her ability with others, she’s willing to, in a nice way, give tips or hints. It’s really a pleasure to get a player like this. She’s a bright student in a great school and she fits all the qualities that I associate with the most successful individuals. She is great in athletics and a good citizen. I can’t say enough positive things about her.”
Burchell then relayed a story from last year’s Mercer County Tournament, which shows what the Shvets family is all about. One of the other team’s coaches was complaining about his team’s lack of equipment, noting that some of his players actually had to share rackets. Shvets and her mom, Elena, overheard the coach’s lament and sprung into action.
“They immediately offered to bring some of Brianna’s older, unused rackets to give to the opposing team’s players,” Burchell said. “It was indicative of the character of generosity that she has displayed.”
The top-seeded Shvets wasn’t exactly generous to her opponents while playing in the Cryan tournament. After reaching the finals, she defeated Vanessa Petrini, 7-6, 7-6, to make history as a 14-year-old champion.
“That’s an interesting story,” Shvets said. “I didn’t even know I was the one seed in the tournament until my friend told me a few days before my first match. I assumed someone older would get that seed. So keeping that mentality, I played as if I was the underdog, which seemed to help me out. I knew it was going to be a long match because I had watched the girl from Rutgers play so I was mentally prepared.”
Shvets had previously won a mixed doubles A division championship “that I only played for fun.”
She has found fun in the sport all her life, as she has always lived in “tennis towns.” She was born in Princeton and moved to West Windsor. She arrived in the Hopewell school district at age 11 when the family moved to Titusville, and she now calls Pennington home.
She was hooked on tennis at an early age thanks to her sister Stacey, who is 15 years her senior.
“My sister got into tennis at a young age and that’s how I found my love for the game,” Shvets said. “I have been around tennis since the day I was born and always seemed to enjoy it.”
Shvets started out by playing in Mario Beckles’ Winning Touch Tennis program, but also “played in pretty much every club in New Jersey. My parents always wanted to find me great competition and sent me playing anyone they could find.”
She began playing in tournaments at age 8 and won her first title later that year. Since then, she has won several doubles national championships and reached the finals in singles.
Burchell met Shvets while she was at Timberlane Middle School, and knew that she was a ranked USTA player when Brianna arrived at Hopewell last year.
“What I didn’t know, was just how good she was,” he said. “From day one, you could see she was a terrific talent. She is a conscientious worker who practices as hard as she plays. She has parents who spend the time to support her effort by driving her to numerous tournaments and practices. She has a confident disposition that enables her to compete at the highest level while maintaining her composure when playing the toughest opponents.”
In assessing her play, Shvets feels she’s a solid baseliner who can also mix things up and throw off an opponent.
“I have been working on my footwork and want to improve my serve,” she said. “I think it can help get me ahead in more points. However, I think I have a strong mental game and am able to analyze my opponent’s game. I also think I can hit a big, strong ball from the baseline.”
Shvets put all her talents to work last autumn in reaching the MCT finals, where she lost a two-setter to her good friend Christina Rosca of Princeton. There was no shame in that, as Rosca was the defending county and state champion, and is headed for Vanderbilt in the fall of 2016. Neither player could compete in states last fall, however, due to USTA commitments.
Shvets felt she should have been more patient against Rosca, while Rosca called her “a brilliant player” after the match.
There will be no rematch this year due to Shvets’ decision not to play for HVCHS, but it’s a safe bet that we have not heard the last of the sophomore’s exploits. She has a strong work ethic, combined with a growing confidence thanks in part to the aforementioned praise received from Burchell and Ehrenberg.
“It honestly warms my heart when I hear things like that,” she said. “They always offer great advice on and off the court. It gives me great pride in my tennis and reassures me that I am on the right path. It also encourages me to work harder because I want to continue to make people proud.”
At the rate she is going, that shouldn’t be much of a problem.
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