“Our team will have a new face,” said Westmont men’s tennis head coach Chris Elwood while reflecting on the upcoming 2009 season. The confidence reflects not only four new recruits, but a higher level of play and a new team spirit.
“It was a very strong recruiting year,” said Elwood. “What I enjoyed the most during the off-season was the team’s dedication to practice and their love of the sport. That will show up in our season. This team has been a blessing to me as a coach and a pleasure to lead.
“Coach Elwood is optimistic that the team’s dedication will give the Warriors an opportunity to return to postseason play.
“My specific goals for the team,” said Elwood, “are to make the national tournament, to be considered among the top teams as far as sportsmanship is concerned and to be competitive against any level of team that we play. I’d like to be in the top-five in our conference.
“The goal to be in the top-five of the Golden State Athletic Conference is a lofty one. Of the nine teams in the conference, five were ranked in the top eight nationally at the end of the 2008 season and a sixth was ranked at number 13. So to finish in the top-five of the conference, is to be one of the elite teams in the nation.
The reason for Elwood’s optimism centers on the strength of his new recruits and the experience of his veteran players
Starting at number one singles will be Mattias Neuman, a junior transfer from Santa Barbara City College who hails from Falkenberg, Sweden.
“Mattias played at number one singles and was all-conference at SBCC,” said Elwood. “His game is characterized by a dominant consistency. He just doesn’t miss. With his tremendous foot speed, he is a player to be reckoned with. He will hold his own in our conference and be competitive. He is a terrific baseliner who hits a two-handed backhand.
“Mattias has a mature mental game and a great mind for tennis,” continued the coach. “He’s a gentleman on the court; a tremendous sportsman. He is an ideal Westmont athlete who has the full package – mental game, work ethic, foot speed, physical gifts and a great heart. I think he would rather lose a toe than lose a tennis match.”
Two more newcomers are likely to fill up the top half of the singles lineup for the Warriors.
“Number two and three will be a battle between Diego Almeida and Bryan Cox,” said Elwood. “Diego is a junior transfer from Ventura City College where he played at number one and two. Diego has some flair in his game. He is a very talented player who hits a one-handed backhand. He has an interesting combination of power and finesse. He has a very good drop shot yet he hits deep, heavy balls. I’ve been very impressed with Diego’s work ethic on and off the court. He’s a wonderful guy whom I’m glad to have on the team. Diego is from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
“Bryan is a freshman from northern California,” reported the coach. “He’s a left-handed player and it has been great for our team to have a lefty to practice against. His game is characterized by a strong lefty-kick serve which is very tough to deal with. He has a lot of power in his game and has tremendous potential. His game is maturing quickly. He has a strong transition game and strong, heavy ground strokes. Like Mattias and Diego, he is a terrific Westmont candidate.
“Returning to the Warrior lineup is sophomore Aaron Cooke. As a freshman, Cooke played at number two singles where he produced an 8-9 record.
“Aaron comes in at number four with a potential to be higher,” said Elwood. “He is a tremendous competitor characterized by a strong serve and a strong baseline game. His greatest asset is his will to win. With a year under his belt, I think I can see him having the competitive edge to pull out close matches.”
Also returning to the Warrior lineup, and competing for the number five and six spots on the singles roster, are sophomore Kent Stormans and junior Arthur Kalayjian. Stormans played mostly at number four last season but had five matches at number three, producing a singles record of 9-9.
“Kent is a very talented player,” noted Elwood. “He had some close matches at number four against strong conference players; losing in tight three-setters. With a year’s experience, his maturity and his understanding of the game and of how to compete will come into play. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can bring to the table. He has a strong all-around game and hits a deep, heavy ball. His serve is an asset for him as well as his ground strokes.
“Arthur has a good all-around game with a strong volley,” said Elwood. “The missing element for Arthur has been consistency in his performance. Another year of growth should allow him to succeed. He will add tremendous depth to our lineup this year.
Kalayjian will serve as co-captain of the team this year along with Mattias and junior Ryley Schultz.
“Ryley has probably shown more growth in the off-season than any other player on the team,” said Elwood. “He has worked hard on his game. This year we hope to see him enter the singles lineup. I have seen improvement in his return of serve, his serve and his overall consistency.”
Freshman Mathias Newel of Eugene, Oregon takes the number eight spot.
“Mathias is such a hard worker and a wonderful player to have on the team,” reported Elwood. “He is a consistent player whom we are looking to develop into a starter. This year we are hoping to add some power to his game and work on his technique overall. I think he will grow quickly. He has strong foot speed and great balance on the court.”
Returning for his final season is senior Cody King.
“Cody is coming off a shoulder surgery this summer,” said Elwood. “He has a strong kick serve and is consistent from the back court. His character and work ethic balance out our lineup.”
“The biggest change this year is moving to a conference schedule where we play each team twice,” announced Elwood. “It makes our schedule very tough. With so many nationally ranked teams, it presents a unique challenge for teams in our conference. Every match is a dog fight because there isn’t a weak team in our conference. Players know they have to put on their ‘A’ game all the time. It forces players into a maturity where they can’t coast through matches. That is exciting for athletes who want to improve and mature their game every day.”
The Warriors begin the season on Saturday, January 24 by hosting La Verne at the Abbott Tennis Courts. Other non-conference opponents include California Lutheran, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Cal Poly Pomona. The GSAC schedule begins on February 7 when Westmont hosts Point Loma Nazarene.
A significant change this season is the way in which teams qualify for the NAIA National Championship Tournament. In previous years, teams would compete in regional qualifiers to earn an automatic bid into the national championship field. Beginning this year, the NAIA has done away with regional qualifiers in favor of direct qualification from the conferences. The regular season GSAC champion will receive an automatic bid to the tournament.
The tournament field has increased from 20 to 24 teams with 14-15 automatic berths, one host berth and 8-9 at-large bids. In past years, no more than six teams could qualify from any one region, but that provision has been eliminated.
‘There are at least seven teams from our conference that should go to nationals,” asserted Elwood. “We have the deepest conference in the nation.”
The 58th Annual NAIA Men’s Tennis National Championship Tournament will be held May 12-16 in Mobile, Alabama.
