Girls’ Tennis Preview: Burbank aims for second again in top-heavy league

A new girls’ tennis team takes its place among the city’s high school programs this season.

Providence High will begin its inaugural season and will join Burbank and Burroughs among the local ranks.

“Since it is our first season, it’s still a work in progress,” Providence Coach Mark Pfau said. “We had three days of tryouts and we were able to get some players out for the team. I just have to be patient, because we have some players with a little experience and some players who’ve never held a racquet before.

“There will be a lot of teaching going on by me and my assistant, Mindy Oki, and there is a lot of work just putting people in place and seeing where they will go on the team.”

The Bulldogs will enter the season with their share of returners and have been bolstered by some talented newcomers. For the Indians, they also have some key returners and a promising freshman, but also lost some impact players to graduation.

Here is a closer look at the teams.

BURBANK

The Bulldogs (14-5 in 2015) are coming off a campaign in which they placed second in the Pacific League for the second straight season. Burbank fell in the wild-card round of the playoffs to Vista Murrieta.

Burbank finished behind league champion Arcadia (22-0), which also captured a CIF Southern Section Division II championship by trouncing Murrieta Valley in the finals, 13-5.

Loi Phan will take on more of a supervisor role with the Bulldogs and the daily training and practices will be taken over by brothers Kenneth and Kevin Banares. Phan thinks Arcadia will be untouchable in league.

“They did what they did last year and they had a bunch of young players,” Phan said. “The girls that they have as subs on that team could beat most other girls on other teams out there.

“I was telling someone the only way they don’t win the league title is if their bus breaks down going to the match and they have to forfeit. Other than that, nobody’s gonna touch them.”

Returning for the Bulldogs is three-year varsity player Nicole Merrit, who will again play singles.

Merrit could be challenged for the team’s No. 1 singles spot by talented freshman Kristina Kirakosyan.

“She has a lot of tournament experience and she’s a pretty good player and I know she’s a pretty highly ranked player,” Phan said. “With her and Nicole, we should have a good one-two punch in singles.”

Phan said the program has benefited from an influx of freshmen with experience. One of those first-year players is Elza Vardanyan, sister of former two-time All-Area Singles Player of the Year Lilit Vardanyan, who is now at Azusa Pacific. Two other freshmen who could contribute in doubles are Bella Lamanna and Shushn Papoyan.

Returners who will be looked upon to contribute are junior Alice Avevikian and sophomore Johana Faraj-Jaar. In last year’s Pacific League tournament, the pair advanced to the doubles semifinals.

“With what we have coming back and the new players that we got, I think we will do pretty well this season,” Phan said. “Unless [Crescenta Valley] got in some players that I don’t know about, we should be up there for second again.

“But forget about Arcadia. We were pretty good last year and we couldn’t touch them. They are strong in doubles and singles and they are just by themselves as far as talent goes.”

BURROUGHS

The Indians are coming off a season in which they went 7-9 and placed fourth in the Pacific League. Burroughs was able to win its Division II wild-card match against Atascadero before falling in the first round to championship finalist Murrieta Valley.

“We did lose some girls who graduated last season, but we do have a group that is back, as well,” Burroughs Coach Roy Bernhardt said. “We also have a new player in who is a freshman and she should be our No. 1 singles player.”

That player is Chloe Bookmyer. Also an accomplished softball player, Bookmyer is fresh off of helping her Burbank Junior All-Star team win a Southern California State Division Championship.

“She is just a very good all-around athlete,” Bernhardt said. “She has a great forehand and backhand and she is really good at keeping the ball in play. I think she’s going to do very well for us this season.”

Returning for the Indians will be junior Jacqueline Samsel, who will play at No. 2 singles, senior Jennifer Drechsler, who can play singles or doubles, sophomore Sandy LeMay, who can also play singles or doubles, doubles player Dominique Silva and doubles player Jennifer Ha.

“We also have some players up from the [junior varsity] team, so we will have to see how they will do,” Bernhardt said.

Like Phan, Bernhardt thinks Arcadia should roll to a league title.

“Arcadia is always strong and they always get new players in,” he said. “I just hope we will be able to make the playoffs again.”

PROVIDENCE

Pfau, who also works as a personal trainer and private tennis coach for children and adults, brings a wealth of tennis experience to the program. He was the coach at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame from 2006-09 and helped the team tie for a Mission League championship in 2006. He also coached the junior varsity team at Marymount and instructs tennis at Harvard-Westlake Middle School.

“I’m just hoping for us to improve all season long and kind of get their feet wet in our first year of competition,” Pfau said. “For them, it will be a chance to see what it’s like to play high school tennis, but more than anything, just have a great experience with it and have fun.

“My three rules always are: do my best, have fun, support my teammates. Those things are the most important. It has nothing to do with wins and losses, there is a lot more to sports than that.”

Pfau said he is still in the process of figuring out which players will compete in singles or doubles for the Pioneers.

Players who could contribute for Providence are juniors Tana Carrillo, Zoe Beveride and Abby Gold, along with sophomores Ella Noravian and Rosalie Bedganian and freshman sisters Iris and Adrianna Aranda and Melanie Ruiz.

In their first season, the Pioneers won’t compete in a league. But Providence athletic director Andrew Bencze said he hopes the program will be able to join the Liberty League for the 2017 season. The team will play its home contests at the Burbank Tennis Center.

“In some of our matches, we will play the other team’s JV squad and, in others, we will play against their varsity,” Pfau said. “It all depends on the competition. ...It has been tough getting things going, but we’re looking forward to the season.”