Hornets Poised to Elevate Conference, State Success

HINSDALE SOUTH GIRLS TENNIS PREVIEW

COACH: Dana Graczyk (2nd season)

2010 RESULTS: 11-7, 6-0 in West Suburban Conference Gold Division duals; won Gold Meet and overall title (82 points); third at Lyons Township Sectional (17 points); tied for 20th at state meet (11 points)

RETURNING 2010 STATE MEET QUALIFIERS: Senior Kim Warpecha and junior Emma Adcock (5-2 in doubles, tied for 9th) and senior Lindy Wing (2-2 in singles)

OTHER VARSITY RETURNEES: Juniors Steffi Chew, Tia Dasgupta, Sara Devine, Hana Frommel, Agata Verkyte and Andrea Wakim

KEY VARSITY NEWCOMERS: Junior Nicole Rickert; and sophomores Paola Bozhilova and Sarah Zaki

OUTLOOK: The Hornets are enthusiastic as they return three state qualifiers, four sectional players and seven from their Gold Meet lineup that secured a second conference title over the past three years.

Two-time state qualifier Warpecha, 2010 state qualifier Adcock, Wakim and Devine enter their third varsity seasons of action with the Hornets. State qualifier Wing, a transfer in 2010 from Loyola Academy's varsity, Chew and Verkyte also return from the starting lineup.

“I feel very fortunate to have a lot of my starters returning and the other girls filling in the spots are very nice players,” Graczyk said.

“I would say one key to the success of this team is already it’s more of a team than I saw last year. Everyone’s got each other’s back and I think everyone is going to be everyone’s biggest fan. The positive energy at the beginning of the season is going to snowball into our team doing better and better.”

The doubles play of Warpecha and Adcock (12-5 record in 2010) was the climax to an outstanding 2010. They finished among the top 12 at state with a 5-2 record after being unseeded and barely playing together during the regular season. Adcock has been the Hornets’ No. 1 singles player the past two seasons.

With one more consolation-bracket victory, they would have joined only three other Hinsdale South doubles teams to finish among the top eight at state.

Needing a top-four sectional finish to reach state, Warpecha and Adcock took fourth after beating an LT team with two 2009 state qualifiers in the quarterfinals. Warpecha had a top-16 state finish in doubles in 2008 with then-senior Helen Alex but then missed the 2009 season with a back injury. She underwent back surgery this past offseason.

“(Their performance) definitely boosted the program,” Graczyk said. “They did better than any of their expectations and this year, they’re both volleying crisper, hitting better shots. Their level of net play is 50, if not 100, percent better than last year. I couldn’t get Emma to the net until the last two weeks of the (2010) season. Now she’s more than happy to go to the net.”

Wing (21-4) advanced to state for the first time by taking thirdat sectionals. She won two of four state singles matches with one defeat to a No. 17-32 seed.

Wakim and graduated Sahana Rajanahally (13-6) reached the sectional quarterfinals in doubles before losing to Nazareth’s Alysa Straub and Alexia Petrovic, who were fifth at state. At the 2009 sectional, Adcock lost in the singles quarterfinals and Wakim and Devine lost in the doubles quarterfinals with different partners.

In the Gold, the Hornets seek consecutive titles for the first time since winning four straight from 2003-06. Last season, the Hornets earned 82 out of a possible 84 total points, 10 points ahead of second-place rival Downers Grove South.

Gold Meet champions were Adcock (No. 1 singles), Warpecha and Devine (No. 2 doubles) and Wing (No. 3 singles). Chew and graduated Ayla Mian (No. 3 doubles) and Verkyte and graduated Varshini Kumar (No. 4 doubles) finished second. Wakim and graduated sister Tiffany Wakim won the No. 1 doubles Gold title in 2009. Warpecha and Alex were No. 1 doubles Gold champions in 2008.

Among newcomers, sophomore Bozhilova is a new student at Hinsdale South who previously was home schooled. Graczyk said Bozhilova was a strong youth tennis player who is working her way back from a bike accident a few years ago.

The Hornets’ postseason success could be dictated by their sectional. Last year, they were paired with state runner-up Hinsdale Central and LT. The sectional’s other three advancing doubles teams took first (Hinsdale Central), fifth (Nazareth) and top 12 (Hinsdale Central).

QUOTABLE: “(Our goals are) to win conference, qualify two singles and two doubles for state, do better than 20th at state (as a team) and place ninth to 12th, if not better, in doubles. It all depends on the sectional (assignments),” Graczyk said.

Download the movie