MARC CHOQUETTE
Staff writer
Success last year surely set the bar high for the start of the 2005-2006 men’s tennis season, which begins this weekend in Denver.
Last year’s campaign brought a steady climb in the rankings and amazing upsets over teams that were expected to win easily over the Waves. Almost a year ago, the squad had a No.-27 ranking in the nation and had worked its way up to its current ranking of No. 8 through upsets of tennis powerhouses such as Stanford University and Duke University, only to lose to the defending national champion and No.-1 ranked Baylor University Bears. The impressive finish certainly showed everybody that the team is a serious contender for a national title.
This year’s squad is led by two-time All-American senior Pedro Rico. A native of Spain, the 2004 WCC Player of the Year is currently ranked 19th in the country and is considered the strongest player on the team.
This senior class of Waves is rounded out with another All-American, Scott Doerner, and perhaps the most animated and dedicated player on the team, Kevin Borzenski. One more senior joins the squad this year as well. Ivor Lovrak transferred to Pepperdine in January, from the team that ended Pepperdine’s run in last year’s NCAA tournament, Baylor.
Two freshmen jump on board this year to help add to the already stacked lineup the team will put forth this year. Kyle Ganzer arrives from Georgia and Peter Luck from New York.
As far as expectations go for this year, the team is confident. In an interview with Borzenski, he said he feels that they have one of the best teams in the country this year and without a doubt, will be in the running for a national championship. This is something that Pepperdine tennis has came very close to, with two runner-up finishes but never won.
“We will be competing for the national championship this year,” Borzenski said. “Not only do we have all but one returning player back and a solid group of freshmen, but we know what we have to improve on as a team from last year. As a program, we believe we have the tools to win our first national title. We have the coaches, the player, the fans, and chemistry between all of them. The only added pressure we have is on ourselves, but I think that will help us in the long run.”
Asked about following up a year such as the one before, Rico said, “Last year was a great year. We were very close to getting the title, and I think that experience made the team believe that we can win it all. Almost the whole team is back this semester, and we also have the experience of last spring, which is huge for the team.”
The Denver Invitational will take place Friday through Sunday, with opponents including Boise State and the University of Denver. While the whole team will not be traveling, Borzenski and junior Rich Johnson will play as a doubles team and they said that they will well-represent the school.
In regard to the upcoming tournament, Borzenski added, “There will be some great players and teams in the draw. It will be a good early test for my doubles partner and I. We will represent Pepperdine as best we can.”
With all the talk of a national championship floating around the tennis world at Pepperdine, this year is looking to be more exciting than ever, and the team members hope that when matches start up in Malibu in a month, the team will have a lot of support from the university community.
09-22-2005
