Girls’ tennis: Team faces new season with new coach

After the loss of key seniors from last year, including No. 1 singles player Crystal Yen and the No. 1 doubles team of Sarah Lum and Lisa Asai, the girls’ tennis team is attempting to rebuild with the help of new coach Ashvin Soin.

Coach: Ashvin Soin

2011 record: 21-5

2011 recap: The girls placed second in CCS, losing to Monta Vista by six games. They also finished second in the De Anza League and at the CIF NorCal Championships behind Monta Vista.

Star player: Junior Kalyani Narayan

Key losses: Crystal Yen, Lisa Asai, Sarah Lum

Key matchups: Sept. 5 at Menlo, Sept. 19 vs. Archbishop Mitty, league matches vs. Monta Vista

Soin, the former coach of the boys’ tennis team at Leland, took the job after vacancy of the position by Tom Uyehara, who had coached both the girls’ and boys’ teams for six years. Uyehara was promoted to a co-director role at Lifetime Tennis’s new location in Sunnyvale.

“Coaching the girls’ team is completely different from coaching the guys’ team,” Soin said. “I was just looking for new challenges.”

Soin is trying to aid the doubles’ teams by implementing the serving and volleying method.

“If we figure out how to play doubles the correct way, then we have a chance to compete against Monta Vista,” he said. “If we play doubles from what I’ve seen so far, the normal way, one up, one back, we have no chance.”

He expects the team to place second in the league behind powerhouse Monta Vista. Senior doubles player Cori Posadas echoed his sentiments.

“I’m looking forward to spending time with the team and having fun in Fresno, and my expectations are to be second right behind Monta Vista or miraculously be number one,” she said.

In their first match of the season on Sept. 5, the team played Menlo and lost 7-0.

The team will participate in the annual California High School Tennis Classic in Fresno on Sept. 7 and 8. The girls will begin league matches with an away game against Palo Alto on Sept. 11.