New Faces Only Improve Team Dynamic

Cal men's tennis coach Peter Wright has two words to describe this year's squad: "big" and "strong."

After finishing at No. 31 in the nation last season with a loss to USC in the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Championships, the team returns this year ready to use its size and strength to its advantage.

With a set of seven freshmen and a group of experienced sophomores, Wright is confident in his team's ability to make a statement this year-young as they may be.

"We have a lot of new players," Wright said. "This year we're going to be stronger because we had a great freshman class last year, and this year will just add to that."

The Bears graduated just two seniors last season in standout Pierre Mouillon and team captain Ken Nakahara. Despite these key losses, they return four out of their top five singles players and all of their doubles lineups-retentions that bode well for their growth and success this season.

"It should be good for the dynamism of the team," sophomore Jonathan Dahan said.

This weekend, Cal kicks off its season at the Land Rover Napa Valley Tennis Classic. Ten of the 17 players currently on the squad will make their way north with a chance to showcase their abilities against some of the nation's top teams.

"The tournament should be a good opportunity to see where we are in regards to other top teams in the country," junior Kallim Stewart said.

It will be the first of a series of tournaments in which the Bears will compete as individuals rather than a team. In college tennis, the fall season is made up completely of this individual competition, and Wright said that his players' performances in these events will determine the team's lineup for the spring, as well as their preseason rankings.

In October, the majority of the squad will compete in the Fresno State Bulldog Classic, and a select few will play in the Polo Ralph Lauren/ITA All-American Championship in Tulsa, Okla.

Later in the month, Cal hosts the five-day Wilson/ITA West-North Regional Championship, in which teams from Northern California, Oregon, Washington and Northern Nevada will compete for individual singles and doubles titles. Winners of each division are eligible to play in the ITA National Indoor Championship in Charlottesville, Va., in November.

The Bears' final event of the fall is the St. Mary's Gael Classic in Moraga, Calif., a three-day tournament in November.

To train for this season, Cal has been engaging in intrasquad matches, as well as competitions over the summer to keep up their skill and conditioning.

"We have been playing a lot of competitive matches between ourselves, and our guys had some good wins over the summer," senior Eoin Heavey said.

The team has been focusing more on their speed in the weight room-something they felt may have been lacking last season and negatively affected their performance.

And although the Bears have high hopes for the season, they are taking their training one step at a time.

"It's tough to map out our goals since it's only the fall, but I think right now were just trying to improve each time we go out and practice," senior Geoff Chizever said.

Heavey added: "Realistic team goals are to have a top-15 finish and make the sweet 16 of (the NCAA tournament). Anything more than that would be a welcomed bonus."

The squad is also aiming for its first conference title since 1953-when Cal was still in the Pacific Coast Conference. However, it won't be easy. The Trojans, as well as UCLA, are consistently in the top 10 and regularly trample over their northern competitors.

The Bears have set the bar high, but with a two-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year, a fresh group of players and improvements for each returning member, they are confident in their ability to turn this season into the best Cal has seen in years.

"We've got a much bigger (in numbers) and younger team this year, and we're really excited about that," Chizever said. "We are all working hard."

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