For Ng, A Love Game is Still Not Enough

Taylor Ng doesn’t have a whole lot of competition across the South Jersey tennis landscape.

Widely regarded as the top player not only in South Jersey, but also the state, Ng has cruised to a 13-0 record, winning the majority of her matches by 6-0, 6-0 scores. Or in tennis parlance,  a score of 13- love, 6-love.

Constantly facing opponents with a lesser game than her could lead to Ng - a senior at Haddonfield Memorial High School—becoming complacent, laid back and frankly, bored.

However, Ng knows you don’t become the best at anything by having that type of attitude. She pushes herself match after to improve on parts of her game that others could only dream of possessing. She is able to hit her serve, forehand and backhand, not only with power, but with keen accuracy.

Yet, as good as all her physical tools are, it’s her mental approach that keeps her on the top of her game.

“No matter what the score is, you can always get better,” Ng said. “Before every match I always try to think of something I can focus on, whether that be an out-wide serve or maybe working on my backhand. All the girls I have played, they can all stay in a rally and I think as long as you try and focus on getting better and not thinking about the score, it helps.”

Ng and the rest of the Bulldawgs have been the most dominant team in the state to this point in the season, earning a No. 1 ranking on NJ.com. At 21-0, Haddonfield is a lock to defend its Colonial Conference Liberty Division and is widely regarded as the favorite to win a state title.

“I think we have a really, really strong team,” Ng said. “We have some really good singles players and our doubles teams are strong. I think we are playing our best right now and are definitely going to be a contender.”

Haddonfield is blessed with amazing depth. Just about the entire varsity roster could be No. 1 players in other programs and many of the JV players would be on varsity elsewhere.

But it all starts with Ng; and being in the position as the best player on the best team in New Jersey is not something she takes lightly.

“It’s been a real honor, especially having Mr. (Jeff) Holman as a coach,” she said. “It’s amazing and it’s hard to believe it’s almost over.”

When the final curtain does drop on Ng’s high school career, she will have the opportunity to continue playing at Dartmouth College.

Ng admitted to not knowing much about Ivy-League school located in Hanover New Hampshire—other than it being a location in one of the Twilight films—but agreed to check it out on the request of her mother.

It didn’t take long before she was sold on the school.

“I thought I’d check it out because I heard it was a great school, and when I went there, I just fell in love with the campus,” Ng said. “I talked to the tennis coach and got to watch the team play and I just loved the whole day. I knew I wanted to go there.”

Ng has plenty left she would like to accomplish before that day comes. In addition to helping her team go after a Group 1 state title, Ng has her eyes set on repeating at the Tournament of Champions—a tournament that determines the top player in the state.

While that tournament focuses on the top individual players, Ng doesn’t just want to win the title for her own resume.

“I want to win it, if not for myself, then for the girls who haven’t gotten to experience it on the team,” Ng said.