Jan. 4, 1997
Women's Tennis Looks for '97 Improvement
BERKELEY, Calif. - The 1997 edition of the Cal women's tennis team could be the youngest in the 19 seasons that head coach Jan Brogan has been with the Bears. Nevertheless, Cal is ranked No. 18 in the ITA fall rankings and is poised to make a move toward the Top 10 as the spring season gets under way.
"The team's goal is to be in the Top 5 going into nationals," said Brogan. "We're in a rebuilding period. It's been a while since we were faced with that task at Cal. Last year, we dropped from No. 5 to No. 23 in the rankings, which nobody was happy about. But when I step back and look at the group of freshmen coming in this year, I know we're going to be good."
This year's squad is made up of a junior, Ashlie Rolley, three sophomores, including 1996 doubles All-Americans Amanda Augustus and Francesca La'O, and seven freshmen.
"They are all very young and we have a very large freshman group," said first year assistant coach Ann Henricksson, who joins the program after 14 years on the professional circuit. "It is a very tight knit group. The cohesiveness should be a positive for the team."
Historically, the Pac-10 has been the strongest conference in the nation and even though the Bears performed below their usual high standards last season, they were still in the Top 25. This year, the team's goal is to finish the season ranked in the Top 5.
"I feel our season will have a lot to do with how quickly our team can build and develop," said Brogan. "There are a lot of possibilities because of the talent pool on the team. The freshmen who came in are both good singles and doubles players, and that is usually not the case. Most often it is an either/or situation. Complimenting this is the fact they are athletes, not just tennis players."
Among the returning players Brogan looks for a leap in performance from both Augustus and La'O. She has no doubt that they both have Top 20 or even Top 10 potential as singles players. They have shown in their brief collegiate careers that they have the ability to play with the best.
"La'O showed it in the Milwaukee Tennis Classic last fall, making it to the semis before losing to currently sixth-ranked Kati Kocsis, 6-3, 6-4," Brogan said. "I'm looking for her to start winning those kinds of matches. In Augustus' case, the experience she gained last season playing most of the Pac-10 schedule at No. 1 singles will be invaluable."
The ninth-ranked freshman on the singles charts last season, Augustus played 14 matches against opponents that finished in the Top 20, and with those big matches under her belt, the sophomore is ready to make a big impact in 1997. Meanwhile, La'O, who was Cal's only 20-match winner in dual competition last year, looks to maintain the number of wins as she moves from the lower half of the singles lineup to play some of the country's top-ranked players at No. 2 behind Augustus.
Sophomore Stephanie Tibbits returns to the lineup in 1997 after an impressive 20-14 campaign as a frosh despite nursing an injured foot the entire season. Tibbits has shown consistent ability to win anywhere from Nos. 3-5.
With the Bears returning only three starters from last season, the freshman class will see immediate action this spring. Of the group, look for Esther Knox, Emeka Mayes, Claire Curran, Lisa Swierniak and Jenny Lee to gain most of the work.
In her native Australia, Knox won national singles and doubles titles in the under-14, under-16 and under-18 age groups. Curran, the top-ranked junior and No. 3-ranked woman in Ireland, holds just as much promise for the Bears.
Mayes too brings an impressive list of credentials to Cal, including a Canadian Top 3-ranking in under-18's, while Swierniak, who excelled locally as a prep winning the Peninsula Athletic League's MVP at Carlmont High School, figures to team with Mayes in doubles action this spring.
"Knox, Curran, Mayes and Swierniak have a lot of experience, but in small areas of the tennis world," said Brogan. "It is my job as a coach to get their talent to come out on the court and allow them to blossom at the collegiate level in the United States."
Fellow freshmen Lindsay Alpert and Katherine Rivett could see some action in singles or doubles during the season.
Although the doubles lineups have not solidified as of yet, Brogan will open the season with Augustus and Curran playing No. 1 doubles and La'O and Knox at No. 2.
"Doubles selection is an ongoing process," said Brogan. "We have the ingredients for three strong teams. If things don't work out in the early going, it will be easy for us to adjust because everyone is a very accomplished doubles player."
With such a young squad of women gracing the courts at Hellman, Brogan is excited about the potential her team holds in 1997.
"I'm looking forward to see how our chemistry really plays out," said Brogan. "The tradition of women's tennis we have at Cal is unparalleled. And we have some of the best young talent in the country. The only thing left for us to do is to prove it on the court."
