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Five years ago, Dan Pellerito helped lead the 12 & under team that I was coaching to a first-place finish at the USTA National Zone Team Championships. Pellerito played No. 1 singles and won both his singles and doubles matches in the championship round. He also played No. 1 on a winning 14 & under team two years later. I have seen Pellerito several times since then and he keeps getting better and better.

Dan Pellerito Has Committed To William & Mary
© Bill Kallenberg

Zonals and other team events were always Pellerito's favorites. He likes the camaraderie along with the competition.

That's a big reason Pellerito is so excited about playing at the next level. The five-star from Syosset, N.Y., has committed to William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.

“I have been to a few college tennis matches. I love the excitement and the noisier atmosphere,” Pellerito said. “It is a big change from junior matches. Each team definitely had its own personality - the more enthusiastic a team was, the more inspiring it was.”

Pellerito's mother, Elizabeth Maltin Pellerito, also likes the team events.

"My favorite tennis memories are Zonals, where the kids get to be on the same team, the parents get to bond too,” she said. “We would have dinner together and spend evenings chatting while the kids went to the hotel pool. These are my best memories and I will miss these times - and the parent friends I made - when Dan leaves for college next year."