Sept. 24, 2003
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara University men's tennis program will open play this Friday at the Tiger Fall Classic, hosted by the University of the Pacific at the Hal Nelson Tennis Courts, Friday through Sunday in Stockton.
"We're ready to go," head coach George Husack said. "The team has been working out really hard physically and they're all ready to get back out on the courts. Our goal for the weekend is to not have the expectations to necessarily win every point, but compete as hard as we have been in practice."
The team has been working on individual goals so far in practice session, but Husack said he expects his team will be serving, volleying and working on transitioning at the tournament, due to Pacific's fast courts. The temperature is expecting to be warm and windy, conditions which will also challenge the team.
"I can't wait to play this weekend," freshman Bobby Rasmussen said. "Practice has been fun, but I've been waiting through four years of high school to play my first college match. I've definitely been looking forward to this day."
"I'm looking forward to the match play, and playing with my teammates, rather than against them," junior Taylor Bedilion added.
The Broncos have had previous success at this event. Bedilion took home the consolation singles title in 2002, while now-graduated Michael Bruggemann teamed with senior Erich Chen to capture the doubles crown. In 2001, then-freshmen Francisco Zepponi, Chris Lam and Bedilion swept the three flights in singles competition, while Lam paired with senior Rick Ruso for a consolation doubles championship.
"We've done fairly well at this tournament the past couple of years," Husack added. "We're excited to be going back."
The Tiger Fall Classic is the first of five tournaments the Broncos have scheduled for the fall. Next week, Santa Clara will attempt to qualify for the ITA All-American Championships in Chattanooga, Tenn. Other events are as follows: Fresno State Bulldog Classic October 10-12, ITA Regional Championship October 17-20 and the Southern California Intercollegiate November 5-9.