In May 1985, Dave Novak at 1S led his Hackett squad to a state team championship, ending Bob Wood’s University Liggett string of 13 consecutive titles. Dave defeated his Liggett counterpart 6-2, 6-2 in the final match to be crowned state champion. He was also state champion at 2S in 1983 and at 1S in 1986. The final matches weren’t close. In three matches for the state championship, Dave lost a total of six games.
In 2019, Dave’s daughter Lizzie played 2S behind her sister Kate for neighboring Mattawan High School. Although only a freshman, she never lost a set on her way to a state championship that year.
Fast forward three more years. Lizzie once again captured a state championship, this time at 1S. Again, she never dropped a set. That’s two years, two state championships, and two all state designations.
A big reason she was so successful was her stellar sportsmanship, according to coach Matt Boven. “She had a unique ability to stay even-keeled no matter the situation,” he says
Why only two? Lizzie’s sophomore year was scratched because of Covid. So was participation in USTA national tournaments for the next ten months. Once those restrictions were lifted, she chose to play them in order to establish a ranking for college recruiting.
But she was back to representing her school in her treasured senior year of high school when, elected the team’s captain, she demonstrated that she was definitely not the team’s prima donna. After she quickly dispatched her opponent, she would become the Wildcats’ head cheerleader. She also set up a team dinner and promoted other bonding activities. She handled uniforms and other logistical needs for her team.
In addition, she volunteered to help out with the Mattawan summer program. “It’s hard to tell that she is a nationally ranked tennis player,” says Matt. “She’s humble and always draws attention away from herself.”
She definitely developed a work ethic. She would drive 10-12 hours per week to practice with her peers while maintaining a 3.76 GPA. and she took full advantage of having an older sister to look up to.
Lizzie’s sister played 1S for three years at Mattawan (the fourth cancelled by Covid) wherein she was all state every year. Kate was a semifinalist at the state tournament her freshman year and quarterfinalist the next two. In her junior and senior years, she went 37-9. This was considerable incentive for a sibling making her way up.
As can be expected, Lizzie is still playing. She represents the University of Richmond Spiders at 3S. “I chose Richmond because I was looking for a school with strong academics where I could also contribute to the tennis program,” she says. I also knew that I wanted to leave the Midwest. When I visited Richmond, I just fell in love with the campus. It’s beautiful. I really liked the size of the school and the academic culture. I also felt connected with the tennis coach and the team, and could see myself fitting in as a Spider.”