The San Benito girls tennis team will have its share of veteran
leadership this year.
The San Benito girls tennis team will have its share of veteran leadership this year.
There are 22 athletes on the team after cuts were made on Wednesday, and about half are seniors.
“It is a veteran team, so I do have some expectations for this team,” said third-year coach Ed Cecena. “We should be able to finish in the upper half of the league this year.”
The Tri-County Athletic League once again won’t be easy. Notre Dame is still the favorite, but the Spirits may not be as dominant as usual.
“Notre Dame had a year last year like we have this year,” Cecena said. “So if ever there is a time to beat them, it is now. Both Gilroy and Live Oak are also pretty strong. Gilroy is one of the hot bed areas for tennis in central California.”
The overall numbers are also up this year, and Cecena said that will help in the years to come.
But only 10 can play during any match. Since Watsonville is in a similar situation to San Benito High, Cecena said he may try to get a scrimmage between the two schools.
“Many of them are coming out just to get the experience,” said Cecena, an off-campus coach. “We are going to begin challenge matches Thursday and continue next week to determine the order of the singles and doubles. We are just working on technique and conditioning right now.”
Seniors Vanessa Martinez and Mary Von Urff have been playing tennis for three years and bring their experience to the team.
“We got the best conditioning program that we have ever had,” Martinez said. “We run for about 20 minutes and we do a lot of sprints on the lines.”
Although the Balers finished in the bottom half of the league standings last year, the team did have one double duo advance to the Tri-County Athletic League semifinals. Von Urff and Martinez will try to continue to build on their performance.
“I think the girls can look up to us as leaders because they know of some of the other clubs and groups we have been a part of,” Von Urff said.
“It’s more of a natural thing,” Martinez added. “We are kind of like mothers. If we see something, we can help them with it.”
Both Von Urff and Martinez offered their praise for the other.
“I don’t think Mary had ever picked up a racket when she came out three years ago,” Martinez said. “But she hit the ball hard. A lot of times she has just enough spin to get the ball over the net and win the point.”
“Vanessa is really good at placing the ball,” Von Urff added. “She is good at thinking during the match.”
Senior Anna Van Boom, a foreign exchange student from Holland, could also contribute in the middle of roster, Cecena said.
But the senior leadership is not the only leadership on the team. Freshman Danielle Burke also brings experience to the team as the only year-round player. She has competed in numerous United States Tennis Association junior tournaments.
“I don’t think Danielle will be beat by anyone on the team,” Cecena said. “So everyone else will be competing for the No. 2 to 4 singles spots.”
“I think she can even help us as seniors to learn some things,” Martinez said.
Martinez and Von Urff said they expect this season to be better than last and said they hope to be on the other side of some matches like the ones they lost to Notre Dame last year.
“It means a lot to us being our last year,” Von Urff said. “We want to go out with clear heads, knowing that we did our best.”
San Benito Girls Tennis Schedule
Sept. 1 at Carmel
Sept. 3 vs. Seaside
Sept. 7 at Seaside
Sept. 8 vs. Watsonville
Sept. 13 at Aptos
Sept. 14 North Salinas Singles Jamboree
Sept. 20 vs. Harbor
Sept. 21 Live Oak Doubles Jamboree
Sept. 23 vs. Gonzales
Sept. 28 at Gilroy
Sept. 30 at North Salinas
Oct. 5 at Salinas
Oct. 7 vs. Notre Dame
Oct. 12 vs. Live Oak
Oct. 14 vs. Gilroy
Oct. 19 vs. North Salinas
Oct. 21 at Salinas
Oct. 26 at Live Oak
Nov. 4 TCAL tournament at Ridgemark
All regular season games begin at 3:30pm. Home games are played at Ridgemark.
