Making it to the playoffs as one of the top two tennis teams, Pierce College ended its season, 7-3.
Many came in as new players, including the No. 1 player at Pierce, 18-year-old freshman Kostya Omelyanchuk.
“I bring confidence to the team,” he stated.
Omelyanchuk hasn’t decided if he will continue to play tennis next year, as he may work and will have no time to devote to the team. In hopes of continuing his status on top, he said he plans to “practice a lot and stay in shape.”
Of Omelyanchuk, head coach Rajeev Datt said, “Playing tennis is his ticket to getting a scholarship.”
“I don’t know what he’s going to do (next year),” Datt said. “I wish him the best of luck.”
Vinnie Amor, a 19-year old music major, has been on the team for a year.
“I brought variety and made the team deeper,” Amor said. “I brought solidness and depth to the team.”
The team is very close.
“We’re all brothers in a way. We have more team chemistry than any other team,” Amor said.
Pierce had a big win over Glendale twice and beat Santa Barbara.
“Back in the day, Glendale and Santa Barbara used to always take out Pierce,” Amor said. “This year, we were able to have revenge.”
Amor feels that for awhile, Pierce disappeared from world of college tennis, but said, “Pierce is back on the map.”
Mark Lewin, 19, a finance major and big brother to the team, is in his second and last year on the team. He plans to transfer, but is undecided as to where that will be.
Lewin was offered a tennis scholarship at a school in Michigan, but declined to take it.
“I have a lot going on here in California, and I don’t plan to leave anytime soon,” he said. “It seems to be a little too cold for me out there.”
Amor and Lewin, the No. 1 doubles team, have certainly complemented each other.
“(Amor) is the firepower of the team,” Lewin said. “I have more of the finesse. We both bring whatever the other one needs.”
The team was in Riverside May 1 for regionals, where Lewin and Amor seeded last out of 16. Omelyanchuk seeded 14th.
“I was pretty happy,” Datt said. “I wouldn’t say they lived up to their seed, but they did OK.”
Datt feels the team has a lot of talent and good players, and that it is just a matter of having focus.
“Either you practice, or you don’t play on the team,” he said. “I think that would have made the difference with a lot of things that happened.”
Datt realizes that many of the players have to work, but said, “At the end of the day, they have to make a commitment to the team.”
As far as next year is concerned, Datt is not going to be as lenient.
“I’m going to make sure that the guys that want to play are committed to the team,” he said. “You need to make a sacrifice for some aspects of your life.”
()