Boston College Athletics
Eagles Head Coach Mark Burns Is Optimistic
October 08, 1999 | Women's Tennis
Oct. 8, 1999
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - Head Coach Mark Burns knows that his 1999-2000 women's tennis team will be good. He just is not sure how far in the spring he needs to clear his calendar. This team that he has assembled will go far in eastern and regional play. It's now just a question of how far in national play they will go. His optimism is infectious, as the veteran coach knows that he has a team full of winners looking ahead at the season before them.
Burns did not lose a single player to graduation last season, meaning all of his key performers will be back in the courts this year. In addition to the talent and experience that returns, he has two freshmen to throw in the mix. All of these ingredients add up to a very potent tennis team.
"This is the best team Boston College has ever had," Burns said. "We have an excellent chance to win the BIG EAST Conference this year. And that's just the beginning. We should be in the Top 20 in the nation. Earning a berth and advancing in the NCAA Tournament are our goals this year."
Senior co-captain Kim Arbuckle and junior Cynthia Tow will lead the team. Arbuckle will provide leadership and experience, playing mainly in the doubles mix. Tow has enjoyed two outstanding seasons so far at Boston College and will look to build on that success and take her game to the next level?the national level. Last season, she played to a team-high 38 wins against a team-low 11 losses and won both the Harvard Invitational and the Princeton Invitational.
Behind Tow will be senior Barbara Privrel. Last season, Privrel worked her way up to second singles and accumulated a 25-17 record. The Zurich, Switzerland native also teamed with Mercedes del Valle to form the team's top doubles tandem. Del Valle, a senior co-captain this year, will be looked upon to add depth, leadership and experience to the squad. She amassed a 22-19 record last year and will most likely find herself in the fourth singles slot at the outs et of the season. Junior Kiren Fernando will also compete in both singles and doubles competition. She ended last season at the fourth singles position and compiled a 19-14 record overall. In doubles play, she teamed with Tow to form the team's top tandem.
Two newcomers will also have an opportunity to play into the singles rotation. Anisha Fernando, Kiren's sister, and Jessica Engel will both provide added depth and talent to the team. Fernando won the Oregon state doubles title each of the past three years as a member of the Lake Ridge High School team. She has also been ranked as high as fifth in the USTA Pacific Northwest rankings.
Engel enjoyed success at the Dana Hall (Mass.) School where she played number-one singles since the seventh grade. Her coaches and teammates also voted her MVP the last four years.
Also, returning to the team are Ruta Vietas and Angela Niznik. Vietas, a sophomore, will look to build on her 11-17 record of last season. Niznik, a junior, will be counted on to provide quality depth to the team after learning from her first season of play last year.
"This team was good before the freshmen arrived on campus. Add them in the line-up and this whole team shines. I expect all of them to perform well, week in and week out. I am excited about our chances this year," Burns said. Again, that optimism is shining through.
