SMCC's Marisa Rostash repeats Monroe County Region Girls Tennis Player of the Year

SMCC must work to give Rostash a challenge

Coaching Marisa Rostash was a problem this spring.

It wasn’t that the St. Mary Catholic Central sophomore was unruly or uncoachable.

She was just too good.

First-year SMCC head coach Kaitlin Kochendoerfer struggled to find ways challenge Rostash.

“She’s intimidating to play against,” Kochendoerfer said. “She hits it really hard. She has a great swing. You get up there against her and you think, ‘Wow, that’s coming in hot.’”

Those hot hits were tough on the coaching staff but served Rostash well on the court this spring.

She compiled a 17-3 record with all of her losses coming against just two opponents while repeating as Monroe County Region Girls Tennis Player of the Year in voting by The Monroe News sports staff.

Kochendoerfer often picked up a racket against Rostash in practice.

“I am am probably more like the competition she faces,” the coach said. "She is used to going against softer hits.”

Assistant coach Jon Miller often stepped up to become the fodder for Rostash’s cannon shots.

“He is able to give her more pace back,” Kochendoerfer said. “It’s good for her to have that in practice.”

But when Rostash was preparing for the state tournament, the coaches wanted to give her even more of a challenge.

Kochendoerfer turned to one of her former priests, Fr. Jeremy Miller.

“He played at Xavier and is an assistant with the University of Toledo women and a campus priest,” Kochendoefer said. “We asked him to come out and give us another look and see if her swing was right.”

Rostash appreciated the extra help.

“That was good for me,” she said.

Kochendoefer just wanted to make sure the lessons didn’t get stale.

“We just want to give her the best opportunity,” Kochendoerfer said. “She has her own coach and plays USTA. I feel like our practices might get boring for her.”

Rostash always is looking to improve.

“I need the work to play smarter and pick at my weak spots,” she said.

Kochendoerfer thought her star player was much better this season than last.

“I think I saw most of the strides in some of the more competitive matches, Grosse Ile and (Ann Arbor) Gabriel Richard," Kochendoerfer said. "She was able to work out of some things that she wasn’t able to before. She had to play differently against them.”

Rostash was pleased with improvements in her net game and backhand during the season but knows she needs a lot more progress at the net.

Rostash lost to Grosse Ile in a dual meet and at the Huron League Meet.

She opened Regional play with a 6-1, 6-0 then was blanked by Vivian Heegan of Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard in the semifinals.

That’s where more of a net game would have come in handy.

“I am pleased that I had more placement this year, but I am more of a baseline player,” she said. “Someone who comes to the net can really intimidate the other player. I definitely need to improve in that area.”

Kochendoerfer agrees that is the direction to go.

“I would love to see her do that,” she said. “When she plays doubles, she is great at the net.”

Rostash is working on tennis and her other net game during the summer. She also is part of SMCC’s volleyball program.

“I play both every week (during the summer)," she said.

The daughter of Kelli and Jim Rostash says the two sports are very different but complement each other.

“In volleyball, I am on a team, but in tennis I am out there by myself,” she said. “But I feel like in both volleyball and tennis there is a lot of lateral movement. I work on that in volleyball and tennis.”

She has set a clear goal for her junior tennis season.

“I really want to make it to states next year,” she said. “That’s my biggest goal to work on in the offseason.”

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: SMCC's Marisa Rostash repeats Monroe County Region Girls Tennis Player of the Year