Neuqua sweeps Central

Emily Meyers of Neuqua Valley is a freshman tennis player with a maturity far beyond her years.

Meyers, who utilizes relaxation techniques to help her concentrate, was in sharp focus Wednesday as she won her first-singles match 6-0, 6-0 to help the Wildcats to a 7-0 sweep over host Naperville Central.

"Before the match I take a minute with myself," said Meyers, who moved comfortably into the Wildcats' No. 1 position at the outset of the season. "Then during the match I try to clear out everything around me and just focus on the ball. Keeping myself mentally balanced and maintaining a good attitude is what gets me through these matches."

"I love Emily's mental approach to the game," said Neuqua Valley coach Trudy Bennorth. "She's just a great kid. But I also love her athleticism and talent."

The Wildcats (14-1), took all seven matches in two sets to defeat a Naperville Central team (10-5) that is undefeated at 3-0 in the DuPage Valley Conference.

Bennorth believes that this is can be a "really special Wildcats team.

"It's one of the most talented and neatest groups of girls I've ever had," Bennorth said. "We have good depth and we're strong at the top of the lineup. And because of the leadership we're getting from captains Nisha Garg and Sarah Eid, the team has really bonded. Everyone gets along and there's no pettiness, no discord."

Third-singles Robin Harland also swept her match 6-0, 6-0 and the Wildcats got a 6-1, 6-2 win from first-doubles Garg and Lauren Silva, a pair of starters at singles last year who are winning consistently in their new roles.

"I'm the big attacker and come to the net," Garg said. "Lauren is consistent. I like my forehand, she likes her backhand. We're having fun playing doubles. It's good having someone on the court with you."

With Meyers moving up, Bennorth had an abundance of singles players and asked Garg and Silva to make the switch.

"They've undergone quite a learning process," Bennorth said. "They've gotten stronger and stronger and more confident as the season's worn on. They're both good at the baseline and they've gotten better at the net."

Naperville Central coach Don Bonet saw some bright spots for the Redhawks, especially the play of second-doubles Meghan Griffin and Michelle Fern, who lost their match 6-3, 6-3.

However, Bonet thinks that Neuqua, as it demonstrated Wednesday, is a cut above.

"They're strong from top to bottom," Bonet said. "Not only do they have depth, they have talented depth. We're focusing on our DVC matches and today was a good meet to test us to see where we are. We have a solid team, but can't match up with Neuqua Valley."