This spring, the boys tennis team may not just have one ace in its pocket, but five.
"I think we are solid in all five, which will help us a lot," said Elliot Lovi, head coach, about the team's strength in the three singles slots and two doubles categories.
Lovi is hoping that the team's balance will help the Lancers as they move from the Iron Hills Conference to the Super Essex Conference. Last year, the Lancers finished 19-11 overall and 14-2 in the Iron Hills. With the Lancers as part of the SEC, they will forgo playing several Morris County schools and will instead take on Essex County powerhouses such as Seton Hall Prep, Newark Academy and Montclair Kimberley Academy. These will also be the tough teams that Livingston will have to beat in order to win the Essex County Tournament title.
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Competition will be stiff and Lovi knows it.
"I don't like it," said Lovi. "They put all the strong teams together and you play them over and over again," he said. In addition, Lovi and the Lancers have more challenges in independent teams also on the schedule including Millburn, Westfield and Delbarton.
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But that doesn't mean the Lancers aren't ready.
"We're ready to play and we know that we have a challenge in front of us," said Lovi.
The Lancers have a good combination of newer and experienced players including junior Brandon Goldstein, who was last year's number one singles, and sophomore transfer Thomas Caputo (from Newark Academy), who will play first singles.
With Goldstein moving to second singles, the Lancers have a potent one-two punch.
In Caputo, Lovi has a solid all-around player.
"He can play all different styles and is a strong baseline player," said Lovi. "He's got a strong serve and can volley. He's not afraid to attack the net."
At second singles, Goldstein should be a force and the Livingston head coach believes he has taken his tennis to another level after a 17-11 record last season.
"He's improved his game tremendously," said Lovi. "He's become much more aggressive."
Third singles will be ably handled by sophomore Varun Dyapa, who was 14-8 as a freshman, and junior Matthew Wolff, who played doubles last season.
The first doubles team of junior Jason Bloom and senior co-captain Ben Haft are another weapon that will give the Lancers plenty of points this season. Last season, their first playing together, they posted a 19-8 record and the pair almost reached the quarterfinal of last year's state doubles tournament.
"It took them awhile," said Lovi about Bloom and Haft learning to play together. "But look at them now, they really work together well."
In addition to third singles, Wolff will also see some court time at second doubles with junior Daniel Tylawsky and sophomore Kevin Sun.
Livingston Boys Tennis Schedule
(Matches at 4 p.m. unless noted)
April 3 Iron Hills Showdown, 9 a.m.
April 5 at Montclair Kimberley Academy
April 6 Montville
April 7 West Essex
April 8 J.P. Stevens
April 9 at Millburn
April 12 at Seton Hall Prep
April 14 West Orange
April 16 Columbia
April 17 at Bryan Bennett Tournament, Delbarton School, TBA
April 18 at Bryan Bennett Tournament, Delbarton School, TBA
April 19 at Montclair
April 20 at Essex County Championships, 8 a.m.
April 21 Newark Academy
April 23 Westfield
April 25 at Essex County Championships
April 26 Montclair Kimberley Academy
April 28 at West Essex
April 30 at Delbarton
May 1 at Newark Academy Tournament
May 2 at Newark Academy Tournament
May 3 Millburn
May 4 Dayton
May 5 Seton Hall Prep
May 7 at Glen Ridge
May 10 at Columbia
May 11 at Bayonne
May 12 Montclair
May 14 at Newark Academy
