All's Well For The Slugs At Ojai

Congratulations to the Slugs, who have just returned home after a great trip south to Ojai. As the only team to have all eight players make it to the second round, the Slugs demonstrated that they have come a long way since their challenging spring break trip.


The hard work put in during practice showed in the level of play that the guys exhibited this past weekend. The Slugs showed great physical endurance playing multiple matches a day, and harnessed the mental toughness developed during training to come back from behind numerous times. Four of the slugs made it into the round of 16(Silvio Chiba, Erich Koenig, Marc and Brian), with Brian Pybas winning the tournament after a tough final match against teammate and doubles partner Marc Vartabedian. Two Slug doubles teams reached the semi finals and showed that we have progressed with our doubles as well as singles. In addition to performing well on the court, the Slugs hung together as a team, and supported each other through the weekend.


The Slug Tennis Nation would like to give a special thanks to the Pybas's, Vartabedian's, and Stanley's for hosting the guys during our stay in Ojai. Your hospitality helped to make our trip a positive experience, and allowed us to focus on performing as a team. We would also like to thank the Koenigs, who made it out to show their support for the slugs.


A shout out to Slug Tennis Nation member Eric Morely for his continued support. Eric, who drove through the night from the Bay Area to watch the Slugs compete, is a constant supporter.

Thanks and stay tuned for information regarding our NCAA Championship run.
Best wishes, Coach Hansen and the men of Slug Tennis

Heading to Ojai

Tomorrow the slugs travel down south for the 103rd Annual Ojai Tournament. We’re coming in fresh off two strong victories against UC San Diego and Sonoma State, and look to continue our momentum heading into NCAA regionals. Leading the group are Brian Pybas and Marc Vartabedian, both returnees who are in the hunt to make an appearance at Libby Park.


The 2009-2010 season has been a rollercoaster ride for the slugs. Despite fielding a young team we’ve shown huge potential, exemplified by our National Indoor Championship this February. During our spring break trip, we faced some of the best teams in the nation, like Middlebury, Claremont, Cal Lutheran, and Redlands. After losing a string of hard matches, the guys have really come to understand the resolve needed to become one of the top teams. The month of April has been one of hard work for both players and coaches, and everyone is excited to showcase our progress at the Ojai Tournament this weekend.


Some potential highlights:
Pybas/Vartabedian are playing like one of the top teams in the nation, and are the number two seed in the doubles draw; this is Marc Vartabedian’s last apperance at Ojai, and we anticipate a strong finish. Leading the freshman class is Erich Koenig, one of the players seeded at number nine who has the potential to create a major upset. Other Slugs fielding the draw are Silvio Chiva, Aaron Morrill, Andre Halabi, Parker Larson, Shaun Herry. All eight players will compete against the best players in the Division III West region. Also competing in the Independent tournament are Sam Rodgers, Donald James, Ian Stanley, and Erik Rosner.

Follow this link to see the Ojai draws:
http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=82759