North's Kopacz runner-up at FVC meet

BOYS TENNIS -- Everything was in line for Peter Kopacz to have a successful FVC Tournament.

First, the Grayslake North standout had a good draw at No. 3 singles. Plus, he entered the postseason with eight wins in 10 league matches.

"He had beaten most of those guys, so he had a lot of confidence," confirmed Knights coach Jill Tomasello. "He's just mentally tough, and he rarely gets down on himself. Peter just played smart."

Kopacz breezed into the final with two victories. In the title match, he lost 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 to a Prairie Ridge foe.

Matt Davis helped the North cause by placing fourth at No. 2 singles.

Freshman Nate Campanile wound up ninth at No. 1 singles. Tomasello noted Campanile had a very tough draw that pushed him into the back draw early in the tournament.

"Nate is just a freshman, so he's going against seniors that outweigh him by 60 pounds," the coach said. "We're excited about what he's going to do the next couple of years."

Roy Pienaar admitted he was nervous about taking over the No. 2 singles role this season. But the Rams' junior came through, capping his league season by finishing sixth in the FVC Tournament.

"I've been really pleased with the season," Pienaar said. "I was excited to play No. 2 singles, and I was happy I had a winning record."

Sophomore Mitch Granger grabbed a third-place medal in the FVC at No. 1 singles. The Rams' star is positioned to make a solid run in the upcoming Lakes Sectional.

"Mitch has a pretty good shot at making it to state," Pienaar noted. "He just can't lose his mental strength. He has to be mentally and physically stronger than (his foes). He usually ends up knowing what to do."

In addition, Steve Kventon placed fifth at No. 3 singles.

The Rams were hampered in doubles because the meet conflicted with graduation. All doubles pairings were missing one player, forcing the club to use some JV players.

Both North and Central will compete in the Lakes Sectional.

Aces, put-away volleys, scorching service returns -- all come in handy in tennis.

But Carmel's top doubles team -- senior Dan Avampato and junior Chris Butler -- used a tactic that had nothing do with a racquet or a ball during the weekend's ESCC meet at Harper College in Palatine.

"They pumped each other up, and they used that excitement to their advantage," said Carmel tennis coach Nancy Fehn.

Emotion lifted Avampato and Butler to the No. 1 doubles championship on Saturday. The pair, seeded second, edged the top-seeded tandem from Benet Academy 6-7, 6-2, 7-5 in the final.

"When you get to the third set of a tense match like that, it becomes psychological more than anything else," Fehn said. "Our guys were go, go, go in that third set, and they showed such positive attitudes."

They also channeled their aggressiveness when they weren't encouraging one another in between points. There's a maxim in doubles -- "Own the net, earn the win" -- and Avampato/Butler personified it in the decisive set.

"They were brave; they weren't afraid of the net," Fehn said. "And they went for everything when they got up there."

Carmel (60) placed third in the team standings in what was a highly competitive tourney, behind Marian Catholic (61) and Benet (64).

"It went down to the wire," Fehn said.

Corsairs Billy White and Conner McNally entered the tourney with an undefeated ESCC record at No. 2 doubles. But Benet's entrant in the flight topped White/McNally 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 in the championship match.