Tennis teams break into action

By DAVID DUNCH

Both the men's and women's tennis seasons are underway, with the men picking up the only win so far out of the teams' five combined matches.

Last Friday at the Santa Clara University Tennis Center, the men beat a tough squad from the University of Hawaii 4-3. On Saturday, the team traveled to Berkeley and took on the University of California, losing 7-0.

Head Coach Sean Burns is pleased with the way his team has played in the early part of the season.

"We've competed well," Burns said. "Even against Cal, we played some tough matches that could have gone either way depending on just two or three points. This is an exciting team, and will only get better with practice and continued hard work."

This year's team faces the challenge of competing against numerous nationally ranked schools. That prospect doesn't bother Burns or his team.

"We have the ability to beat ranked teams," Burns said. "We may lose some matches, but we'll definitely win our share. The strength of this team is in its depth. Our No. 1 through No. 10 players can all beat each other, and that helps to have fresh bodies who can give some of the others a break."

As for the women, last Thursday they got their first opportunity this year to compete at the beautiful new tennis facilities on campus, but dropped a 6-3 decision to the visitors from the University of Hawaii.

Youth led the way, as freshmen Christine Limbers and Pati Ruiz were the only Broncos to pick up singles wins.

In doubles, the one winning Bronco team featured sophomore Nicole McCord and freshman Alison Barr.

The team then embarked on a trip through the Pacific Northwest, losing a close contest to the University of Portland on Saturday 5-4. They followed that with an 8-1 loss Sunday against the University of Washington.

The men will next be in action this Sunday when they host UC Davis and San Francisco. The matches start at 10 a.m. The women take on USF tomorrow in San Francisco at 2 p.m.