Can Dover girls tennis win a third straight state title? Here is what coach believes
DOVER — Sue Vitko begins her fourth season as head coach of the Dover High School girls tennis team this coming Wednesday with a Division I match at Manchester Central.
To say Vitko has had a successful first three years would be an understatement.
More: Dover girls tennis claims second straight Division I state championship
The Green Wave have not lost a regular-season match on Vitko’s watch, and have advanced to three straight Division I state championship matches, winning the last two.
After two straight state titles, both wins over Derryfield, the target, despite the Green Wave needing to replace half of their starting lineup, remains on Dover’s back for the upcoming season. The combined regular season and tournament record in those three years is 55-1.
“Of course it is,” Vitko laughed about the target on Dover. “Derryfield has lost us to twice in the state championship. You can’t tell me their singular goal this year isn’t to make sure they beat us. I don’t know why it wouldn’t be.”
However, Vitko says the target won’t distract from this year’s team, which will feature three new players at singles, including one freshman.
“With the competitors that we have, I don’t think (being a target) is going to faze these girls," Vitko said. "They’re not going to worry about that. They’re not going to think about that.”
Can Dover reach a fourth straight championship?
No Division I team has won three titles in consecutive years since Bishop Guertin won four straight from 2010 to 2013. Bedford won three straight titles (2018, 2019, 2021) but that was interrupted by the COVID-19 no season year of 2020.
Dover lost three of its top singles players from last year — No. 1 Taylor Wilson, now playing at Wheaton College, No. 2 Joci Faasen, and Riya Ramdev, who played No. 4.
However, Vitko believes this team, despite the loss of that talented trio, can still contend for a championship.
“Of course,” Vitko said. “It’s high school atheltics; any given day anybody can win. That is the mindset that we will preach all year.”
Who will make up Dover’s roster this year?
The expected top three in Dover’s singles lineup this year all has varsity experience with three seniors — Tory Vitko, Sue's daughter, at No. 1, Kate Ross at No. 2 and Mia Mozzoni at No. 3.
Tory Vitko was No. 3 last year, Ross was No. 6, and Mozzoni was No. 5. Ross makes the biggest jump moving up four spots on the ladder.
"These girls have big shoes to fill," coach Vitko said. "We don't have any year-round tennis players. We have several multi-sport athletes, so I predict the second half of our season will be much better once they get into the rhythm of the season."
Ashlynn Swierk and Sarah Bastille, who are two seniors who have not played varsity singles yet, will be at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively.
And two freshmen — Paige Wilson and Kimberly Tarr — are battling for the sixth and final singles spot.
“We’re going to rely definitely on athleticism and smart play because we don’t have year-round tennis players,” coach said. “We’re going to work on strategy and outlasting our opponent. I have grinders, I have kids who are going to grind it out on the court.”
Potential double pairings could see Vitko and Ross at No. 1, Swierk and Bastille at No. 2, and Wilson and Mozzoni at No. 3.
Opening test for Dover
Coach Vitko said Dover will have a tough season-opening match at Manchester Central, which features Emily LeClerc, the team’s No. 1 singles player and one of the top players in the state.
“It will be an immediate test for our No. 1,” “(LeClerc) went pretty deep in the singles tournament last year, that’s a big test right off the bat.”
Dover will then be off until Monday, April 8, when it hosts Pinkerton Academy.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Dover girls tennis has new look as it seeks third straight NH title
