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Home  |  Roster  |  Schedule/Results  |  Coaching Staff  |  News  |  The Slug Tennis Video  |  Giving

October 14, 2009
Slugs Roll on and off the courts!

SANTA CRUZ, CA -- Dear Slug Tennis Fans, Senior Marc Vartabedian and Junior Bryan Pybas are representing the Slugs in the 2009 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Small College Championships. This is one of collegiate athletics' most unique event which will be taking place October 15-18 at the Copeland-Cox Tennis Center in Mobile, Alabama.

These championships, presented the United States Tennis Association, are being hosted by the Copeland-Cox Tennis Center, the world's largest public tennis facility, for the third consecutive year. This full-service facility includes over 60 courts, all lighted and hard-court, with a pro shop and professional instruction on site.

This event, administered by the ITA, dates back to 1986 and determines national champions for NCAA Divisions II and III, NAIA and Junior/Community College men's and women's singles and doubles during the first two-and-a-half days of play. Those champions then compete to become the overall national small college champs (for all divisions) on October 17-18 in the ITA "Super Bowl" of Small College Tennis.

Each small college division features eight singles players and eight doubles teams who earned spots into this national event by winning their respective Wilson/ITA Regional Championships held over the past three weeks throughout the country. All told, over 5,000 student-athletes competed in 64 regional tournaments to earn spots in the national event.

This is the only national championship event for singles and doubles at the NCAA Division II and NAIA levels. It is also the only tournament that combines all levels of Junior/Community College (NJCAA Divisions I, II and III and the California division). The overall ITA "Super Bowl" of Small College Tennis champions on Oct. 18 will earn wild cards into the Nov. 5-8 ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships, hosted by Yale University in New Haven, CT.

Small College tennis enjoys a rich tradition. Notable small college tennis players include the likes of Billie Jean King (Cal State Los Angeles), Brad Gilbert (Foothill Comm. College), Mikael Pernfors (Seminole Comm. College), Paul Haarhuis (Armstrong Atlantic State) and doubles greats Ken Flach and Robert Seguso (SIU-Edwardsville). More recent small college players who have enjoyed success on the pro tour include Eric Butorac (Gustavus Adolphus), Wesley Moodie (Auburn-Montgomery), and Toshihide Matsui (BYU-Hawaii). Marc and Brian paly tomorrow, Thurs at 3:30 Mobile time. To follow their progress please go to the ITA web site at: http://www.itatennis.com/Events/ITANationalChampionships/SmallCollege.htm

On another impressive note, Slug Alums Justin Coupe and Palmer Taylor continue to rack up awards for their wonderful documentary film "Rivers of the Lost Coast" . A tremendous article about the two was recently published in a UC Santa Cruz Review publication. Please see the entire text at: http://review.ucsc.edu/fall09/article.asp?pid=3270

Thanks for all your wonderful help and support. Best wishes, Coach Hansen and the Slugs