Author's note—After publication, Jim San Marco emailed us with an injury update. "We just got some bad news. Alexa Goldberg will be out with an illness for at least a month. That will create a big hole in our lineup."
Last year the Edgemont Panthers girls tennis team enjoyed a dream season as they finished 10-1 and were undefeated league champions with their only loss being to a Class A Scarsdale squad that is from a far larger school.
Coaching the Panthers is Jim San Marco, who is excited to be back in charge for the fifth straight year and his 10th season overall.
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"They are great kids who are working very hard," San Marco said. "We have a wide range of abilities. We have kids like senior Kozue (Iwasaki), who have been on the varsity for the last five years. Then we have Casey Rogovin and Christine Ho, they are juniors who have been on the team for five years as well."
Ho, a junior co-captain, will be playing first singles with fellow junior co-captain Rogovin playing second singles. When this duo played doubles last season, they finished second in the section to eventual state champ Keio and placed sixth in the states.
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While what Ho and Rogovin accomplished was incredible—especially when one considers that they did what they did as sophomores—the duo isn't content with what they did a year ago.
"They really have worked hard in the offseason and gotten better," San Marco said. "They are not resting on their laurels, nor are all the other kids on the team, who are working hard as well. Each one of them wants to be the best that they can be."
One reason why Ho plays as well as she does is because she has the ability to wear down the opposition.
"Christine is very consistent with her forehand and backhand," San Marco said. "She is an intelligent player. As the match goes on she gets a little bit stronger. She is able to attack her opponent's weakness and use her own strengths to her advantage."
San Marco said that Rogovin has gone great lengths to improve her game.
"She is the most improved person on the team," San Marco said. "Her forehand and backhand have improved and her serve is one of the top serves around."
As for third singles, freshman Alexa Goldberg, junior Eri Fukumoto and eighth- grader Aleena Kurumunda will battle it out for this position with the two that don't make it being in the mix for doubles.
Iwasaki, the senior captain and her sister, eighth-grader Tomo Iwasaki, will be playing first doubles.
Second through fourth doubles will be between this group and the duo that doesn't play third singles: junior Ameya Archaya, freshman Ashna Vasa, junior Sruti Karwa and senior co-captain Miriam Shlimovich.
Freshmen Alison Clarke and Kathleen Yam will also be key contributors for the Panthers.
As for his expectations for this season, San Marco says that they are the same as they always have been.
"We only have one goal every year and that is for the kids to work as hard as they can and be the best players they can be by the end of the year, that and be the best team that we can be," San Marco said. "That's all we expect."
