Tennis readies for strong season
By Erin Chambers
With fresh young talent, skillful coaching teams, and a first ever national ranking, it appears the 2002 season will be an explosive one for Santa Clara Tennis.
The men's team hopes to start the season aggressively with support from four new freshmen standouts. Taylor Bendilion, Chris Lam, Josh Braley and Francisco Zepponi were all nationally ranked in the USTA National 18 rankings, with Zepponi holding the highest spot at No. 78. All four players have recorded wins over opponents ranked in the Top 25.
"By defeating some of the top-ranked players in the country, these four student-athletes have demonstrated that they can compete with anyone," Head Coach Sean Burns said.
Lam and his doubles partner, sophomore Rick Ruso, were recently ranked No. 53 in the nation by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, marking the first ever national ranking for a Santa Clara doubles tandem. The duo is ranked No. 9 in the Western Region.
The men's team also fared well last week at the ITA Division I preseason rankings, standing at No. 75 going into the 2002 season. It is the team's second straight national preseason ranking and third overall.
With all the momentum gained in the preseason, the men's tennis program is set to kick off the 2002 season at home as they host the 2002 Pro-Am Invitational this weekend.
"We hope this event will give our current team, tennis alumni and friends of the program an opportunity to spend some time together in a competitive and fun environment," Burns said.
Following the event, the Broncos face tough competition on the road in 2002. They are scheduled to meet No. 2 Stanford on Feb. 26 and WCC rival No. 8 Pepperdine on Feb. 2.
Just as the men's team looks forward to a promising start to the season, the Bronco women's tennis program is confident as well. The addition of two promising freshmen, Janalle Kaloi and Catherine Cochrane, looks to strengthen the team's singles and doubles play. Kaloi is the No. 2 player in Hawaii and No. 100 nationally.
"Janalle could be one of the best recruits we have ever signed at Santa Clara," Head Coach Aby Ryan said. "With her national ranking and her excellent all-around game, I see her playing in the top three singles positions and as a top doubles player."
This year is Ryan's seventh straight season as head coach of the women's team, and she has posted the second most wins in Santa Clara history with four in six seasons. Ryan was the top-ranked singles and doubles player for four years at the University of San Diego, and is joined for the third season in a row by Assistant Coach Horacio Matta, who also teaches Spanish in nearby Palo Alto.
Matta, a native of Chile, played on the ATP Tour from 1987-1990 and has worked with tennis legends Andre Agassi and Bjorn Borg.
The women kick off their 2002 season on Jan. 19 when they host UC Davis at the Santa Clara Tennis Center.