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The South Western High junior said, "Coach Raubenstine came over and said to me, 'When are you going to prove you're number-one on this team?'"
Miserendino got his chance the next day, when he beat the Mustangs' top player, Mack Meyer, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, to win the YAIAA Class AAA championship.
By then, Miserendino was already part of history. The Hanover area had not fielded both Class AAA and AA champions in the same season since 2001, when Hanover and South Western had the doubles champions. Behind Class AA singles champion Joel Garrett of Hanover, the same two schools achieved the feat in 2012.
However, Miserendino's rise from his team's second-ranked player to YAIAA champion was the reason for his selection as the All-Area Boys' Tennis Player of the Year.
Yet, to do that, Miserendino had to defeat Meyer, a senior and good friend, in the renewal of a rivalry which stretched back through hours of unheralded matches on the practice courts.
"The majority of those times, he beat me in those matches, so to get the win at the (YAIAA) county title was a big deal," Miserendino said, adding his familiarity with Meyer was a big concern.
"He just gets so many balls back (at me) and he knows what to do with them," he said. "He knows what to do with every single ball and it's so hard to play with him. Most of the time, I couldn't get as many balls back as he did, but I stepped it up in that final.
"It was competitive, probably the most competitive match we ever had."
But Miserendino's success was also the outcome of a singular focus on tennis after he had played many different sports, including soccer.
"I played soccer for the high school team my freshman year. I was decent and had some success there. I played in a couple of varsity games," he said, adding, "But I've played tennis for so long and it became more of a desire."
As time passed, Miserendino realized he liked the idea that, while part of a team, he was solely responsible for his own success on a tennis court. This season, the junior also changed his attitude.
"The big thing for me was starting to attack a lot more," he said. "Years before, I stayed back and waited for guys to make mistakes, but with players like Mack and Adam Gante (of Dallastown), I wouldn't get the ball back because they were attacking. The idea is to control the point."
His ability to do that helped him to a 15-6 singles record. It also helped him and senior partner Brandon Stremmel to advance to the YAIAA Class AAA doubles final and to the District 3 Class AAA quarterfinals in doubles.
Next season, Miserendino envisions a doubles reunion with teammate Quin Meyer, with whom he placed fourth in the YAIAA Class AAA Tournament as a freshman.
That anticipation serves as motivation for the offseason, except that Miserendino isn't enjoying much of one. Instead, he is competing in a men's league and will play in United States Tennis Association events.
"Just train, train, train all of the time," he said. "My main focus is to fine-tune everything. I think there is a lot of progress to be made."
One reason is to attract the interest of college coaches, people who have already shown curiosity in the reigning YAIAA champion.
"I've had coaches tell me that if I really wanted to, I could play on some of their teams now," he said. "That's a good thing to hear."
But the winner of 62 singles and doubles matches already at South Western also figures that, as a senior in 2013, he will be counted to lead the Mustangs to an even better season. South Western won the YAIAA Division I championship and earned a District 3 Class AAA Team Tournament berth.
Toward that greater success, Miserendino figured the 2012 season was a good start.
"My thanks go to my coaches and my team for making it a good season," he said, "and especially to my coaches for believing in me as they did."
ccurley@eveningsun.com; 717-637-3736, extension 144
