The final DVC boys tennis match of the regular season has Naperville Central welcoming Metea Valley on Senior Night. The winner moves into second place behind Neuqua Valley heading into the conference tournament. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Metea Valley continues to show its strength in doubles
Starting with number two doubles Metea Valley looks to continue it strength in the doubles division as Mihir Arya and Royce Lalani compete for the Mustangs against Jason Xu and Nick Tangedahl from Naperville Central.
The Mustangs start strong as Mihir Arya waits back on his return and hooks it perfectly into the back corner for the point. Metea takes set one in a tight one 7-5.
Sometimes in order to earn a point in tennis you just need to survive. Following a Jason Xu serve, Tangedahl engages with both Mustangs at the net. The Redhawks are then forced to the back line and send back the smash attempts. Eventually Lalani finds the net as the Redhawks hang on for the point.
The Mustangs bounce back. Lalani returns the serve with a big forehand, before moving quickly to his right for a great finish to the back corner and Mihir smashes down the lob from Xu. Metea takes two doubles 7-5, 6-3.
Over to number one doubles where Rish Railkar and Ameya Tyagi from Metea look to remain undefeated in conference play against seniors Peter Paik and Zach Highhouse from Naperville Central.
Railkar serves in the opening set. He waits for the return before unleashing a great backhand the other way down the line for the point and a 6-1 win in the opening set.
Railkar with another serve before Tyagi goes for the smash. Highhouse drifts back and is able to return it with a deep lob. Paik then does the same following a return from Railkar. Highouse then charges the net and is ready for a quick strike in the corner for a point for the Redhawks.
The Mustangs are able to pull away in the second set. Ameya Tyagi with an ace on the inside corner helps Metea sweep doubles with a 6-1, 6-2 victory.
The Redhawks put the pressure on in singles play
In the singles division we have Nikash Divakurini from Metea Valley against Issac Lui from Naperville Central. The two engage in many lengthy volleys in this matchup. Lui earns a point in the first set with a strong forehand that kisses the line in the left corner.
In the end, Divakurini is able to outlast his opponent, doing a nice job tracking down each return and forcing miscues leading to a 6-3, 6-2 victory.
Jack Jordan from Metea Valley steps into two singles against Naperville Central freshman Jason Cheng.
Cheng serves in the far court as Jordan sends it back. The young Redhawk does a great job cutting his return short as the ball drops in before Jordan can reach it for the point.
Jordan uses the backhand effectively in the second set. He has Cheng on his heels a bit while playing closer to the net. He finishes the point with a perfectly placed backhand on the corner. The Mustang wins in straight sets 6-4, 6-3.
The matchup of the day comes in one singles with the battle of the unbeatens as Metea senior Akshay Baid face fellow senior Charlie Morgan from Central.
There are so many marathon points in this battle with volley after volley going back and forth. Morgan is able to seize control in the opening set by charging the net and hamming a forehand to the right side of the court. The Redhawk wins the first set 6-4.
Trailing early in the second set, Baid turns the tide. A strong serve forces Morgan wide to his left and Baid uses all his power to send a backhand home the other way for the point.
Both players working hard this one as Morgan sweats through multiple shirts throughout the match. Another great volley back and forth has Baid making a quick backhand return. Morgan tries to power it past him, but again the Mustang deflects the ball away, this time to earn the point and to win the second set 6-4.
The top singles players in the DVC head to a tiebreaker under the lights as the sun is setting. Another lengthy volley has both players looking for an edge while not giving an inch. Eventually Morgan is able to move up to the net and keep Baid near the back line. The Mustang is forced to loft one of his returns up and Morgan slams it down to put things away. The Redhawk wins the third set 6-2 in what could be the first of several matchups between these two over the next few weeks. Metea Valley does win the team total by the score of 6-1.
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page!
