Raheel Saleem was a little concerned about how the Robbinsville High girls’ tennis team would accept him as its new coach last year.
“I kind of just took over last year, I didn’t know much about the girls’ team, they were kind of nervous seeing me at the beginning,” said Saleem, who is also the Ravens’ boys coach. “(They’re thinking) ‘It’s a new face, what does he want us to do?’ I told them one of the things I wanted was ‘for you girls to take it seriously and have fun. Learn how to win the right way.’”
Two seasons later, Saleem has gotten what he wanted – success, acceptance and “a better understanding of the girls.”
“It’s been a lot better I think,” said first singles player Rithika Korrapolu, who was seeded in the top 32 at this year’s NJSIAA singles tournament. “He made conditioning a huge priority with us. Every single practice before the season we had to run a half hour and work on our conditioning drills.
The transition, she added, was difficult at first, but playing for the school’s first-ever girls’ tennis Patriot Division title — which the Ravens would have a share of if they defeated Hopewell Valley on Oct. 27 — made it a little easier to adapt to.
Whether they got it or not, it could not detract from a stellar campaign for a young team that will lose just one starter to graduation.
Entering the HoVal match, Robbinsville was 10-4 and had advanced to the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II semifinals before losing to eventual state champion Holmdel. The Ravens were ninth out of 18 teams in the Mercer County Tournament, which featured some of the state’s top squads.
That came on the heels of a 9-8 2013 campaign.
“I was able to build my philosophy with the girls last year,” Saleem said. “I was able to break down some things for them to work on in the offseason, and they came back this season and it showed.”
One of the biggest things Saleem emphasized was doubles. Each day he put them through a long, grueling process of 100 serves, 100 lobs, 100 volleys and 100 overheads.
“I’ve learned doubles is so vital,” the coach said. “I know the powerhouse teams in the county have a daily routine just for doubles, and that’s something I wanted to do. We really worked on it, and this year our doubles teams became a strength, not something that could break down the team.”
The first doubles team of sophomore Dibya Patnaik and junior Nicole Testa reached the MCT backdraw semifinals, while the second doubles tandem of senior Darshee Patnaik and junior Kristina Reid took first place in their backdraw.
“Nicole Testa was second singles last year,” Saleem said. “She’s had a rough year this year with all the lineup changes, but she’s been a great sport a great leader. Dibya Patnaik is in her first year on varsity and you can tell she’s stepped up. She’s very coachable and well liked by the other players. Once the chemistry develops they will be a really good doubles team.”
Saleem said Dibya and her older sister Darshee put in a lot of fundamentals work in the offseason. It’s shone through particularly in Darshee and Reid’s matches.
“[Darshee] is such a team player,” he said. “She just riles the team and is very committed to the team and making it better. She has been playing with Kristina for three years now, so the chemistry is there. They work very well together. Kristina loves to be aggressive and play at the net, while Darshee is a baseline player. They’re a very good pairing.”
While every team needs doubles production, it is sometimes a luxury to have an outstanding No. 1 singles player. There are a lot of them in Mercer County, and teams that don’t have them are usually just filling a spot with sacrificial lambs.
But the Ravens are blessed with a good one in Korrapolu, who was 12-2 entering the second Hopewell match. She reached the quarterfinals of the MCT and got to the third round of the NJSIAA Singles Tournament before having to withdraw to attend a wedding in Miami.
“That was upsetting,” she said. “Last year I didn’t qualify and my freshman year I lost in the first round. This year I was really excited about seeing how far I could go. But I still have next year.”
Saleem feels his prize junior is more sure of herself this year.
“She’s someone who works on her game in the off season,” he said. “She’s super competitive and she loves the game of tennis. She works hard at everything she does. I’m a guidance counselor and she’s on my case load. I know her pretty well and she’s a phenomenal person.”
Junior Juhi Rajgopal played second singles and also won her backdraw final at the MCT.
“She was injured last season and having her back has been big,” Saleem said. “She’s very skilled. With the way she works at practice, once it translates into match play she’s very tough to beat.”
Rounding out the starting lineup is junior third singles Andrea Youngken.
“She goes after everything and moves a mile a minute. She just doesn’t stop,” Saleem said. “She’s the most consistent player on our team and gets to everything.”
The cast of characters is not only talented on the court, but extremely close off of it. Korrapolu feels chemistry is a major reason for this year’s success.
”I’m so grateful to be able to play with my best friends,” she said. “They’re my best friends in school and out. We have dinners and team bonding. It’s basically the same team from last year and we had that bond last year, too.”
Saleem agreed.
“It’s like a little family here, and it’s something they’ve worked really hard at and I’m proud of that,” Saleem said. “We try not to measure success in wins and losses, but by things like, ‘Have the girls gotten better since day one, and are they enjoying the experience?’ They are enjoying it. At least that’s what they’re telling me.”
The coach was just hoping to see improvement from last year, but the players were expecting a little more.
“Knowing we didn’t lose any seniors last year, we were hoping to have a fantastic season and I think we did,” Korrapolu said. “We’re going to be even stronger next year. Coach worked us hard and it’s paying off.”
And to think he was concerned when it all started.
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