By Christine Paulson
Staff Writer
Coming off a year plagued with injuries, the coaches of the women’s tennis team are focused on one simple goal this season: to stay healthy.
“Staying healthy will obviously pave the way for us accomplishing our other goals,” Head Coach Gualberto Escudero said.
Those goals include repeating conference, going to Nationals and then advancing to compete in the Sweet 16.
“This year we are keeping close contact with the doctors and trainers,” Escudero said. “We will be keeping close eye on the returnees and we have our fingers crossed that they won’t get injured.”
Even with last year’s injury-prone team, women’s tennis still managed to have a very successful year, according to Escudero. This year the team has even higher expectations for the season.
“I have big goals and aspirations for this team,” sophomore Natalie Braverman said. “I don’t want to say that last year was disappointing, but we just didn’t meet some of the goals we set.”
Escudero said Braverman, of Newport Beach, is his top player. She was ranked No. 62 by the International Tennis Association this year.
Last year, Braverman was tabbed freshman of the year and named first team all-conference. She also beat senior Sarah Walker of UCLA, who the Waves had failed to beat for three years in a row.
“It showed she had enough talent to compete with top players,” Escudero said. “Last year, she was able to play in the No. 1 spot as a freshman.”
Some of Braverman’s personal goals include staying healthy by striking a balance between staying in shape without overworking herself and getting injuries.
“There’s a very fine line between doing too much and getting injuries and staying in good shape,” Braverman said. “With me, when it rains it pours.”
Last year Braverman was ranked No. 39, but fell out of contention during the second half of the season due to tendonitis in her Achilles tendon.
The Waves are preparing for their first tournament of the fall, the Riviera All-American Championships in Pacific Palisades from Oct. 9 to 12, by doing a lot of conditioning. The team has a new conditioning program that includes different forms of exercise such as Pilates, with an expert instructor, to strengthen the cores of their bodies, Escudero said.
“It’s pretty tough to start the season with so many matches, so being in top physical shape will definitely help,” he said.
Escudero is excited to see how Eva Dickes, Sissler Lise and Caroline Raba, his three freshmen, will perform in the tournament.
According to Escudero, some tough competitors this year in conference include University of San Diego and rival Loyola Marymount, although he notes that anyone can be a challenge.
Braverman said this year’s team has a lot of chemistry.
“I’m really looking forward to this season and even preseason because we all mutually have very high expectations and goals,” she said. “Everyone has aspirations, and we’re always striving towards something.”
The team and coaching staff are anxiously awaiting the arrival of senior Charlotte Vernaz, who is completing an internship in France and will be returning for the season in January. She was No. 2 on the team last year.
“She contributes very much to the team,” Escudero said “She is a very effective player. We’ll need her (during the season).”
That was a first. I think this year’s team should be considerably stronger.”
September 25, 2003