Hernando Today
Serve And (Volley) Vivaldi
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: May 16, 2008
For the first time in five tennis seasons, someone other than 2007 Central High graduate Jeanette McDonald has been anointed as Hernando County's finest player.
McDonald, who holds the county record with career wins (71), defeated Nature Coast Technical's Rachel Ann Conter four times in four meetings from 2006-07.
But with McDonald's departure, the 16-year-old Conter has ascended to the top rung of the local prep tennis ladder.
"This (being named Hernando Today's County Player of the Year) means so much," shared Conter. "I trained with Jeanette for many years. I'm glad to take over for her. You know it's kinda nice to get attention. For good reasons, she's always gotten it. It's nice to have my turn."
Some tennis folks believed that despite McDonald's dominant career, she was perhaps too high strung.
Conter, on the hand, is not only a determined tennis player, but has many varied interests -- including a love of music.
For instance, how many Hernando County prep tennis players know who famed Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi was?
Let alone that he composed 750 works including "The Four Seasons."
Conter: 101
On the tennis courts at NCT, Conter has been a model of consistency under the tutelage of former teaching professional and current Shark Head Coach Louise Downey.
Rachel, the only child of Brooksville's Dan and Jodi Conter, matriculated from Powell Middle School to NCT. At Powell she played tennis for only one season under NCT's current boys' coach Tom Brown.
But on the Panther campus, she was on the school's marching band for three years.
Upon arrival at NCT, she's stayed with her first two loves: tennis and band.
Unfortunately, the Sharks have had three band directors in her three years on the California Street campus.
And despite the marching band's low numbers (they're the tiniest ensemble in the county), Conter has a learned to the play the piccolo and flute besides mastering her favorite instrument --oboe.
"Music is very important in my life," insists Conter, who doubles as an outstanding student/athlete by carrying a 3.6 unweighted grade point average and ranks among the top 20 percent in her graduating Class of 2009. "I started playing the piano since I was 6-7."
When did Conter first get the music itch?
"It wasn't really from my parents. My dad did car dealership commercials, but my grandfather was a school music teacher," recalled Conter, who yearns to be an audiologist and currently works part-time for Gardner Audiology. "My cousin played piano when I was small and I wanted to be like her. She's played in band since elementary school."
Any drawbacks in playing for a small school's marching band?
"In my opinion, quality is more important than quantity," remarked Conter, who is also a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society. "To me (the band's) size doesn't matter. I don't do it just to win, our band is like family."
On the courts
The moment Conter stepped on the courts at NCT, she made an impression.
In her first varsity season in 2006, she finished 17-4 in singles action in tennis' most demanding position -- No. 1.
In doubles, she teamed up with Katie Stellpflug for a fine 12-3 campaign.
She suffered a bit of a sophomore jinx in 2007, dipping to 12-7 in singles play and 11-8 at No. 1 doubles with best friend Anna DeAngelis.
This year, Conter matched her personal record in wins (17) and captured the county championship at No. 1 singles. More importantly, she earned her second district No. 1 singles title to automatically earn a berth at states.
In doubles, she teamed up with her third partner in three years, sophomore Olivia Williams, to finish 18-1 overall. Besides capturing the county and district No. 1 doubles crowns, the Shark duo won two matches in the 2A State Finals before being eliminated by Miami-Gulliver Prep.
Her consistency across the past three seasons serves as a testament to her career at this point. Conter has won 46-of-59 singles matches (78 percent) while posting 41 wins in 53 doubles matches (77 percent).
Area coaches noted the difference in styles between McDonald and Conter.
"After Rachel wins, she doesn't gloat," explained Hernando High Head Coach Pete Lahey. "She's very consistent. She always has a good attitude and exhibits good sportsmanship -- that's a key for me.
"I think playing the top players at No. 1 for three years has served her well."
"I think the biggest difference in her game is her maturity," shared Coach Downey. "Focus comes with age. As you mature, you see the world in a bigger picture. Rachel has a great ability to be open to suggestions and she understands her responsibility in practice to show the younger kids how it's supposed to be done."
What about technique-wise?
"She has solid ground strokes and she now understands it may take 5-6 shots to win a point," responded Downey. "In doubles, she was the one that provided the leadership in style. She's crisper at attacking the volley, while Olivia has killer ground strokes."
Behind the numbers
Despite three different doubles partners in three seasons, Conter continues to look forward.
"I miss playing with Anna (DeAngelis) this year," commented Conter. "It was different not having her here, but she thought she had a better shot at a scholarship in running than tennis.
"With Olivia (Williams), we've trained together since she was 8-years-old. Olivia flat out slugs the ball," described Conter on her partner's style. "She's a power person. I think I have more communication. I just try to keep us pumped up."
What was the season's high point?
"Definitely winning county and districts meant a lot," reflected Conter. "I was real nervous before the district final. I have never been so happy to win a match afterward."
What was the key?
"I told myself that no matter what happens I wanted to play my game," insisted Conter. "And I did want to play it safe. I was going for it."
Biggest low?
"That's easy, the loss to Lecanto," shrugged Conter. "It was hard to lose to them. We worked so hard to get to that point. Olivia and I had already qualified for states; we wanted so badly to be able to take the whole team to states."
What happened?
"I think it was nerves," described Conter following her team's 4-3 loss to the Lady Panthers at Delta Woods Park. "We tried so hard (to win), we over-tried. When you play nervous, you never play your best."
What's in the cards?
Conter, who also enjoys dirt bikes and horseback riding on her folk's 10-acre spread with her 25-year-old Appaloosa named Chance or her Riding Mountain Horse named Duke, would like nothing better than make her third trip to the 2A State Championships again next spring.
So far, she's 0-2 in states singles and believes her doubles team could fare even better.
"States was an awesome experience," exclaimed the 5-foot-5 brunette. "One day, I'm gonna win a singles match there.
"In doubles, I went in there not expecting anything. We won a couple matches which was great. But when we lost to Gulliver Prep, they were out of this world. They've trained longer and harder than we have."
What about next year?
"I've been playing tennis since I was 7," recalled Conter. "What's helped me is I've played USTA competitive tennis for a while. I don't tend to freeze up. I've got to concentrate on playing my way. 'Coach is always telling me 'Just play the ball, not the person.'
"My serve is the favorite part of my game," insists Conter. "My backhand took a dive bomb about midway through the season; thankfully I got it back for states. My forehand is pretty good but my feet have always been a weakness. So yeah, there are areas I can improve on for next year.
"Next year, my goal is go undefeated in singles and doubles," added Conter. "That's definitely something to brag about if it happens. Plus, I'd sure like to get past the first round of singles at states. I think we'll have a good shot of going back to states."
In between, you can expect Conter to continue to make sweet music both on and off the courts.
By the Numbers: Rachel Conter
- Compiled by TONY CASTRO
Singles
YR. W L .PCT
9th 17 4 .810
10th 12 7 .632
11th 17 2 .895
TOTALS 46 13 .780
Doubles
PLAYERS No. W L .PCT
Conter/Stellpflug 1 12 3 .800
Conter/DeAngelis 1 11 8 .579
Conter/Williams 1 18 1 .947
TOTALS 41 12 .774
Sports Editor Tony Castro can be reached at (352) 544-5278 or online at acastro@hernandotoday.com.
TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online Member Agreement | Privacy Statement | Work With Us
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)
* Keep it clean
* Respect others
* Don't hate
* Don't use language you wouldn't use with your mom
* Use "Report Inappropriate Comments" link when necessary
* See Member Agreement for details