Sweet Home boys tennis debuts brand new lineup
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Junior Alex Masson is alternating with freshman Winston Lin for the starting first singles' position for the Williamsville East boys tennis team. Masson is a foreign exchange student from Germany. Photo by Joe Eberle Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

Prior to Sweet Home's first tennis match of the season with Tonawanda on April 3, Panthers coach Brian Koziol asked his team a question that he knew the answer to.

"I asked the team to raise their hand if anybody has ever started in a varsity match before and none of the 17 kids put their hand up," said Koziol.

Every starter and most backups from last year's school record 17-4 team was a senior (13 seniors total), leaving Koziol with a ton of varsity inexperience and curious expectations about this spring's crew.

"My expectations change daily," said Koziol. "Sometimes we play a set and I think 'hey, maybe we're better than we think' and then we struggle in another set and I say to myself, 'there's our youth showing'."

Despite the team's inexperience, Koziol is glad some of the students who have been with the team for a couple of years are finally getting a chance to play.

"They've been so supportive of why we were so successful the last two years," said Koziol. "The only problem is they don't have any chance to brace themselves when it comes to playing varsity matches. They're learning on the job."

The nucleus of the team is also brand new for Koziol, who started coaching Sweet Home five years ago.

"I have to not only work with them on normal techniques and strategy but the mental side of coaching," said Koziol. "Some of these kids have played exhibition matches on varsity, which is one set, but never a three-set varsity match."

The students at the top singles positions getting a chance to shine are junior Corey O'Brien at first singles and senior Jon Lo- Presti at second singles. O'Brien and LoPresti were towards the mid-teens on the depth chart of the 2007 roster and saw time in exhibition matches.

Koziol said O'Brien won the team's annual winter scholarship from Sweet Home alum Todd Miller at the end of last season and has improved his game a lot.

"He definitely has a more powerful serve than last year," said Koziol. "In general, his serve has gotten overall better. He also has pretty solid ground strokes."

LoPresti is an accurate baseline groundstroke player, said Koziol.

"He's really accurate," said Koziol. "If I tell him left deep corner or right drop shot, he puts it there. He also hits with some power that may catch some guys off guard."

Junior Anthony Sciandra, who was also on last year's team but played exhibition matches, is a steady player who is for now, set at third singles.

"He will play a five-hour match if that's what it needs to be," said Koziol. "He's content at hitting the ball back for 40 minutes or until the opponent has had enough and makes a mistake."

Koziol said either of the first doubles' players, junior Eric Daigler and senior Keith Weigand, might play at third singles at some point of the season. Koziol said Daigler and Weigand's best strengths are athleticism and ground strokes, respectively. Daigler and Weigand are captains with 6-foot-4 senior Justin Pierce, who plays second doubles with junior Mike Guarino.

Koziol said Pierce improved his game tremendously since joining the team two years ago, including having one of the team's best serves. Guarino is a good volleyer who takes private lessons, improves daily, and is extremely coachable, said Koziol.

Sweet Home is 2-2 through four matches, beating Tonawanda and Lake Shore, 4-1, and losing to Canisius and Lancaster, 5-0. Koziol said O'Brien played well in the loss at first singles against Lancaster losing, 3-6, 3-6.

Last year, Sweet Home was tied with Williamsville East for the top spot in ECIC Division II. Koziol expects East to be strong again and hopes his team can have a winning record and possibly finish second in the league to get back into the gold bracket of the team championships. Sweet Home lost to Clarence in the gold bracket finals last year.

Sweet Home hosted Niagara Falls last Tuesday but the result was unavailable before The Bee went to press. The Panthers return to action at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, April 21 when they host Hamburg.
Sweet Home 2008 Schedule
4-21 Hamburg............... 4:30 p.m.
4-22 at Depew .............. 4:30 p.m.
4-23 at East .................. 4:30 p.m.
4-25 at Iroquois............ 4:30 p.m.
4-28 W.S. East .............. 4:45 p.m.
4-30 at Hamburg ............... 5 p.m.
5-1 Orchard Park.............. 4 p.m.
5-2 at Lake Shore ........ 4:30 p.m.
5-5 East ......................... 4:30 p.m.
5-7 Iroquois................... 4:30 p.m.
5-9 at W.S. East............ 4:30 p.m.