Tension to Triumph: Summit Boys Tennis Turns Late Match Chaos Into County Title Glory

SUMMIT, NJ — The pressure was building on the tennis courts, the kind of late-match tension that usually decides a season’s turning point.Instead, it may have defined oneSummit boys tennis continued its dominant run with a 4-1 win over Westfield in the Union County Tournament final, a match that was far closer than the final score suggests and one that assistant coach Alex Levkov described as hanging in the balance deep into doubles play.“We were leading 2:1 after the three singles finished their matches and both doubles teams were still fighting,” Levkov said. “First doubles were 2:5 down in a third set tie-break (10 point tie-break) and second doubles were 4:5 down in the second set. It could have gone either way, and you could feel the tension in the air.”What followed, he said, was the turning point that kept Summit’s perfect season intact.“Somehow, it all came together, with both doubles teams turning the momentum and clinching their wins. We ended up winning 4:1.”The victory extended Summit’s unbeaten start to 12-0 overall and 5-0 in the UCC–Watchung Conference, a streak that has steadily built through a demanding early-season schedule featuring multiple 5-0 sweeps and a statement win over Westfield earlier in league play.Levkov said the consistency has been no accident.“The streak continues, with a 12:0 record so far,” he said. “Co-Captain Levkov worked closely with Head Coach Vinnie Turturiello to assemble a strong lineup for this season. However, the team only got stronger as the season evolved. This was especially evident with the 2nd doubles.”At the top, Turturiello has kept the focus on preparation and belief as Summit continues to stack wins and approach the back half of the schedule. He should know something about how to win – as he comes closer to notching his 500th win of his storied career in a busy schedule this week. “Being prepared builds confidence and our team has done the preparation,” Turturiello said. “So WHY NOT US!!!”Summit’s leadership group has been equally vocal about the team’s mindset as expectations continue to rise.“I am super proud of this team and their performance at the county tournament,” captain Ben Levkov said. “Our discipline earned us this trophy, and we look to continue our success through the rest of the season.”That next stretch arrives quickly, with a schedule that now turns toward a final push through conference play:at Scotch Plains-Fanwood, Monday, May 4, 4 p.m.vs Oratory, Tuesday, May 5, 4 p.m.vs Madison, Friday, May 8, 4 p.m.at Somerville, Monday, May 11, 3:45 p.m.vs Delbarton, Tuesday, May 12, 4 p.m. For Summit, the formula has been simple but increasingly tested: stay steady in singles, hold the line in doubles, and find answers when matches tighten.The team moves ahead with its “bring-it-on” approach.“I love thinking about what’s next because we are so pumped and looking forward to playing more challenging teams and a deep postseason run," Co-Captain Dylan Schulberg said. To maintain our momentum, we need to continue bringing the same positive mindset into every match, putting in maximum effort in practice, aligning our goals, and then executing them when the time comes.”And as Levkov put it, the focus now is maintaining what has already become a defining stretch.“The team needs to stay focused on upcoming matches, continue training hard, and stay humble.”