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Dear Slug Tennis Fans, Another team season comes to an end but this one ended too soon! After regaining our number one ITA National Team Ranking going into the NCAA tournament, we faced number 10 ranked University of Redlands in the round of 32. In what I would describe as a less than inspired effort, we advanced with a 5-3 win. We won at two and three doubles with Max Ortiz and Brian Pybas at two and Max Liberty-Point and Ilya Gendelman at three both winning 8-5. Jared Kamel and Marc Vartabedian, who went into this match undefeated in Div lll dual matches and ranked one in the country, lost their first dual match in two seasons to put us up 2-1 going into singles. Singles winners against Redlands included Jared Kamel at one singles, Colin Mark-Griffin at four singles and Max Liberty-Point at five singles who played well under pressure to secure the win over a very tough Bulldog team. This win set up a rematch of last year’s NCAA round of 16 when the two top ranked teams in the country locked horns as the Slugs were set to face the Stags of Claremont. Claremont had advance with a 5-1 win over Whitman College. Max Ortiz, who recently won both the singles and doubles at Ojai, injured his thigh muscle in the Redlands match and was questionable for the Claremont match. After icing it, stretching it and massaging it, we made the decision to have him try to play doubles. In retrospect this was probably a mistake as he aggravated it early in the match and proceeded to lose his first doubles match of the season with partner Brian Pybas. A close loss at one doubles and an easy 8-2 win at three doubles from Max Liberty-Poing and Ilya Gendelman put us down 2-1 going into singles. We pulled Max Ortiz from the singles and moved everyone up bringing in Marc Vartabedian in at six singles. From here we battled! Marc lost a close first set where he was unable to convert on many break opportunities and then faced a strong senior opponent at the top of his game in dropping the second set 6-1 to put us down 3-1. After an early lead Jeff Fong dropped the first set at five singles, as did Brian Pybas at two singles and Max Liberty-Point at four singles. Jared Kamel won the first at one singles as did Colin Mark-Griffin at three. Brian Pybas regained his stealer form of last year and swept the final two sets to get the momentum back on our side. Max Liberty-Point played brilliantly as well and won his final two sets to even the match at 3-3. With Jared and Colin deep in the third and battling, Jeff Fong cramped badly and was forced into time violations that cost him the second set to put us down 4-3. The match was decided when Claremont’s top player, who is ultra talented, hit high gear and took the match from a valiant Jared Kamel at one singles 6-4 in the deciding set with Colin still fighting deep in the third. I am very proud of our effort this season and already I am impressed with the courage of our guys to face the work ahead. My mind can’t stop thinking of what we might have done better and I too am hungry to get back at it. I now feel the sting that Claremont must have felt last year as the two ranked team in the country having to face us at our place to earn a shot at the final site. One of my challenges is knowing that if we had made it past this round, I know we had a great shot to go all the way. With everyone coming back except senior Jeff Fong we will be a force to recon with next season. Hats off to Jared Kamel and Marc Vartabedian who will represent us in doubles at the NCAA individual championships. Jared and Max Ortiz have also qualified for singles with Max and partner Brian Pybas as the first alternates from our region in doubles. Special thanks to the Ortiz’s for hosting the team on our recent trip and to the Vartabedian’s for housing other members of our team. Thanks to all our Slug fans for their gracious support and know that the great tradition of Slug team excellence will continue! More news on individuals and a season wrap up to follow. On another down note we lost a great member of our Slug family as my dear friend, Slug alum, dentist extraordinaire, and cherished member of the Santa Cruz community, John Newman passed away. A memorial service will be held for John this Thursday at 7:00 pm and Friday at 12:00 at Holy Cross Church in Santa Cruz. Our hearts go out to his wonderful family as they deal with this tragic loss. Best wishes, Coach Hansen and the Slugs