Men's tennis jumps up in the ranks

By Jackson Morgus

The Santa Clara men's tennis team is already working on the most accomplished season that the program has seen in years, providing them with high expectations for the rest of the season.

Despite the success, the Broncos still have to face some stiff competition prior to the West Coast Conference tournament.

"We need to win to consider the tournament a success," said Head Coach Derek Mills. "That has been our attitude all along. There are no partial victories for us."

Winning the WCC tournament would mark a turnaround on a number of levels for the Broncos. First of all, Pepperdine has built a dynasty in Malibu; they have dominated the tournament for the past couple of decades and will once again be the team to beat with a No. 23 national ranking.

But even if the Broncos should fall short at the WCC tournament in San Diego, the team has still made significant strides this year. Mills' squad holds the second highest national ranking in the WCC after finishing dead last in the conference the last two years. The team has also set a Santa Clara school record by rising as far as the 43rd national ranking. They are currently ranked No. 53 in the nation by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

"It has been all about recruiting," said Mills of his team's success. "These guys deserve a lot of credit. Our success has really been a reflection of the talent that we have been able to bring in."

Mills has a young squad, with five freshman and six new faces on the Santa Clara tennis team. He doesn't see this as a problem but rather as an opportunity to take to the court with players that may be young, yet bring a high level of talent and a lot of experience prior to their Santa Clara careers.

"These are all nationally tested players," said Mills.

With high goals surrounding the upcoming tournament, the Broncos will have to continue the high level of play in order to find success and maintain that standard in the future with the help of a top-20 recruiting class of 2014.

"The team has really come together for us, which has helped, although winning definitely helps that," said Mills.

However, the Broncos still have some competing to do before they travel to San Diego. They have remaining matches against the University of San Francisco on April 3 and against Gonzaga the following day. The Broncos continue their play against Pacific and Loyola Marymount the following weekend.

The Broncos will hold singles and doubles matches, as they look to have a strong showing in regular season league play and build on their 11-4 record.

After they finish up league play they will head down for the WCC tournament in San Diego on April 23. With a strong showing, they will move on to the regional tournament which takes place on the second weekend of May. Finally, if they can come together and continue to thrive, they will head to Tulsa, Okla. for the NCAA Championship that begins on May 16.

As for now, the focus will be on the WCC, which presents tough competition for the Broncos, as they continue to have a turnaround season in 2010.

Contact Jackson Morgus at jmorgus@scu.edu or (408) 551-1918.