Analy squad led by eight returning veterans
A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since Analy tennis coach Rick Passero took over the girls program in 1999, a span that has produced six team titles and a steady stream of individual champions.
Despite graduating some of the top players in the league last June, Tigers fans can expect another strong season from a retooled squad that figures to contend for its third straight SCL pennant.
“We don’t have the talent that we’ve had in the past couple of years but the strength of the team this year is consistency,” said Passero, assisted by former singles star and Tigers alum Nick Wight. “That’s what it’s all about – focusing on consistency from our top players and improving the technique of our younger kids.”
The Tigers are led by four-year senior standout Alma Meckler-Pacheco, who has taken over the number one singles spot.
She’s joined by senior veteran Marion Hall, a fierce competitor playing in the second singles spot. Other top singles players include sophomores Sophie Kerosky and Ava Whitehorn.
Although the doubles teams can change due to the strength of opponents on a given day, the Tigers have featured the tandems of Maki Mizutani-Aliya Goldstein, Taylor Talcott-Daniella Acosta and Isabel Housman-Kelsea Braga.
Analy didn’t know what to expect when it opened the season with lopsided preseason losses to Maria Carrillo and Santa Rosa. But after starting league play with wins over El Molino and Piner, the competitive juices began to flow.
“My thoughts changed from just being competitive to wanting to win,” Passero noted. “I tell our girls, ‘Just go out there and be consistent and good things will happen’.”
