New Trier pulls off state tennis shocker — in more ways than one

“We just thought there was always a little path, and in the end, we owned the path.” 

New Trier tennis coach Tad Eckert said that not many people thought the Trevians would be the ones holding the state championship at the end of the IHSA Class 2A championships, but the right people did.

“The guys on the bus did,” Eckert said. “It’s pretty surreal actually. They are all fun to win, but this one was very unexpected.”

Behind three medaling entries, including the 2A doubles champs, New Trier topped the field with 36 team points during the three-day tournament that ended Saturday, May 30, at Palatine High School.

The Trevians edged Hinsdale Central (34 points), denying the Red Devils of a fifth consecutive state crown.

Just a few weeks ago, April 29, Hinsdale Central toppled New Trier 6-1 in a dual meet. What a difference a month makes.

Three of New Trier’s state entries won main-draw quarterfinal matches — likely the most meaningful achievement for teams in the state tournament, because it carries the most weight: four points. All other victories are worth two or one.

“Both of our doubles teams really improved as the season went on,” Eckert said. “To get three entires through to the quarterfinals was just massive. We needed all 12 of those points, because we knew how deep Hinsdale was and they were going to be difficult to beat in the backdraw and that’s what played out.”

But that wasn’t the day’s only surprise.

New Trier’s top doubles entry Jayden Dussias and Brennan Plunkett went the distance, becoming the program’s third doubles state champ in a row (Chris Ackerman and Jovan Morales, 2024; Ackerman and Dussias, 2025).

By a final of 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, Dussias and Plunkett overcame state favorites Kyle McCain and Nicholas Marringa, of Hinsdale Central, a team that beat Dussias and Plunkett in straight sets during that match in April.

“We were underdogs in that match, and the only way to win was to play our best tennis and that’s what we did,” said Plunkett, a junior. “We kind of realized we had to play well, and in big-pressure moments, we’ve been good all year.”

After taking the first set, Dussias and Plunkett struggled through the second, falling 6-3. They were up against it.

Dussias, a sophomore, took it hard. He said he had to take a moment after losing his rhythm, especially behind the service line, for a bit. But he credited Plunkett, Trevians coaches and New Trier’s “seventh man” (their fans) for the turnaround.

“I played a poor second set and (Plunkett) and our coaches were able to get me going, get me fired up, and we played a flawless third set. It was an unreal experience,” he said, adding, “Coach likes to say the seventh man is the most important. The seventh man was in the stands, cheering for us, going crazy and that gave me the energy and fight to get back in this.”

The Trevians — up 35-34 on Hinsdale Central in the standings — also needed the win as a team. The winner would take home one team point, so Hinsdale Central had a chance to share the state title.

Dussias said he and Plunkett were “playing for much more than ourselves,” helping them clinch the third in convincing fashion, 6-3.

Dussias and Plunkett won their first three matches of the weekend in straight sets. An important quarterfinal victory went to a tiebreak, and the duo triumphed 6-3, 7-6 (4) against a team from Waubonsie Valley.

They then lost the first set 7-6 (4) in their semifinal match with Shay Sweigard and Nolan Pavlik of Lyons, before claiming the next two sets 6-4, 6-4 to reach the championship bout.

Eckert praised Dussias and Plunkett for their growth throughout the season and said that their sectional victory over their teammates Dane Bozic and James Scallan played a factor at state.

“(Dussias) is really confidence and (Plunkett) kind of rode his wave of confidence and they just became more comfortable playing together and believed that they could do this in the end,” Eckert said. “I think beating their teammates in sectional final was big too. … I think they really started to believe they really could be the best team in the state.”

Bozic and Scallan put forth a huge tournament as well, taking home fourth-place medals. They began with four straight victories — all in straight sets — before falling to McCain and Marringa 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.

They then lost to Lyons’ Sweihard and Pavlik in the third-place match, but earned their team 10 points.

Morales, a senior, won 11 points for the Trevians en route to a third-place finish. His only loss on the weekend was to state champion Maksim Hristov, of Buffalo Grove, in a three-set result, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. He won his first five four matches in straight sets, and was the third-place winner via forfeit by Hersey’s Matthew Sirkorski.

After winning a doubles title in 2024, Morales did not play for New Trier as a junior. Eckert and company were glad to welcome him back this season.

“Jovan is really an amazing athlete and we really missed him last year so we were glad he came back to the roster,” Eckert said. “In order to point up in the state tournament, you need someone to man the No. 1 singles role and that’s the toughest position in the lineup and he was able to do that.

“He played great for us all year. And like our doubles teams, he was playing his best tennis at the end here in the state tournament.” 

New Trier’s other singles entry, Mathieu Fosse, a junior, won a match in the backdraw to get his team a point.

The state championship is the 23rd all time for New Trier boys tennis and first since 2021. The finish was a significant upgrade from last season, when the Trevians finished fourth and out of trophy position. Prior to 2025, New Trier had won 10 straight state trophies (two first, four seconds, four thirds).

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