Vanessa Teves, MJC’s tennis dynamo, anchors run to NorCal finals

Vanessa Teves stands only 4 feet, 11 inches, but the tennis ball doesn’t know that.

She applies the force of someone much taller, and the ball pushes hard through the air toward a sometimes startled opponent. Many underestimate Teves at first blush. Almost all of them lose.

“I just see the ball. Everything else is just blank,” she said. “My focus is just on the ball.”

Teves’ tunnel vision, coupled with her surprising power, has made her one of the difference-makers in a remarkable season for the Modesto Junior College women’s tennis team. The Pirates (15-0) meet Fresno, a team they’ve already beaten twice for the Big 8-South Conference title, for the Northern California championship Saturday at 1 p.m. on the MJC courts.

“She is one of the most powerful players I’ve seen here,” said Milan Motroni, who’s wrapping up her 11th season as MJC coach. “Her addition has been big for us.”

Teves, a graduate of Enochs High School, quickly jumped to No. 1 on the MJC singles ladder and has lost only twice all season. Better still, she and sophomore doubles partner Chiara Adamo are unbeaten. They anchor the team’s strengths – doubles potency and overall depth. Foes must wonder at first about them – the 4-11 Teves alongside the 5-10 Adamo.

“We work really well together,” said Adamo, a Tracy High School product. “She poaches for my serve. I’ll angle it and she’ll poach it. She’s definitely got the power and I have the serve.”

Teves did not play tennis as an Enochs senior after the death of her father, Dan Teves, an accomplished local tennis player, teacher and coach. Heartbroken and depressed, she struggled the following autumn. But Dan passed on something very important to Vanessa – his passion for tennis. Today, Vanessa plays for him.

“I couldn’t focus and my tennis went downhill. I would stay in my room and think, ‘What am I going to do?’” Vanessa said. “My friends were very helpful. They said, ‘Do it for you. You know your dad wants this.’”

Freshmen Teves, Parker Pilati and Kristi Van Diver merged with returners Adamo, Britney Leon and Rebekah Jacobson. Pilati contributed to MJC’s NorCal women’s golf title last fall, and Van Diver played for the volleyball team.

Also unbeaten for the season, besides Teves and Adamo, are No. 2 doubles pair Pilati and Leon. Then comes Van Diver and Jacobson at No. 3 – they’ve lost only once – to complete MJC’s imposing punch at doubles.

Modesto, runner-up in the Big 8 behind Fresno in 2014, dethroned Fresno with two 6-3 wins for the conference title. The Pirates then beat Santa Rosa 5-0 and Foothill 5-2 to reach the NorCal finals.

The common denominator in their success is doubles; they haven’t dropped a match in the playoffs. More important, those constant three wins give them the early momentum.

“It’s just been the right combination of girls. That little bit of depth is so important,” Motroni said. “We’ve been extremely strong in doubles.

“Alex (Lopez) and I have been consistently been throwing doubles drills at them all season,” he said, referencing the assistant coach who is in his eighth season.

Each member has made a significant contribution:

▪ Pilati, the younger sister of former MJC athlete Presli Pilati, grew up playing golf and tennis and stepped into the No. 3 singles spot.

▪ Leon, No. 2 singles (and occasionally No. 1) a year ago, adds more than a little experience. She’s unbeaten at No. 4.

▪ Van Diver’s athleticism has paid off. “She can stay on the court for three hours and not get tired,” Motroni said.

▪ Jacobson, like Van Diver, brings more athleticism to the No. 6 spot.

“We feel confident on any given day – if we start well in doubles, we can finish them off in singles,” Motroni said.

Modesto, ranked No. 1 in Northern California by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association for most of the season, was seeded third by the committee for the NorCal playoffs. The committee reportedly believed the Coast Conference boasted the stronger teams. The Big 8 settled that score on Tuesday, however, when Fresno dropped top-seeded De Anza and MJC stopped No. 2-seeded Foothill.

Only Fresno stands between Modesto and a NorCal title.

“They’re definitely coming for us. They’ll go for revenge,” Adamo said. “But we can do it.”

Especially with Teves, their pocket-sized dynamo, on their side.

This story was originally published April 16, 2015 at 8:21 PM with the headline "Vanessa Teves, MJC’s tennis dynamo, anchors run to NorCal finals."