Men's Tennis: Fab four freshmen
Four freshmen have joined the Men's Tennis program this season, and a familiar member of the Women's Tennis program has taken the time to discuss their brief careers at UT. Senior Petra Dizdar, an All-Big 12 standout for coach Patty Fendick-McCain's Women's Tennis team and a diary contributor for TexasSports.com, gives Texas Tennis fans the "player's perspective" on the four newest Longhorns. Texas Men's Tennis is back and prepared for another exciting year. Head coach Michael Center has brought four new freshmen on board to his defending Big 12 Championship team which had an outstanding season last spring, advancing to the NCAA semifinals. Newcomers include Jon Wiegand, the "pro-salsa dancer"; Rook Schellenberg, the "I got-the-skills" guy; Josh Zavala -- the "Bullet"; and Dimitar Kutrovsky (Dimi), the feisty Bulgarian. They are the freshman "rackets" of this year's men's tennis team. (Note: Nicknames already established by their teammates.) The three Texans and an Eastern European are young and carefree off the court, but they're tough and resilient once they walk onto the green courts of the Penick-Allison Tennis Center. Wiegand, a San Antonio resident and die-hard Longhorn since he was a baby, is a perfectionist and pays special attention to all the little details in his game. Schellenberg (Dallas, Texas) is physically stronger than most freshmen out there, and has an extra confidence on the court. He started his college career with a big win during the Baylor Invitational, beating No. 46 Marek Velicka from Oklahoma. Kutrovsky, an aggressive attacker, interestingly plays with both hands on both sides. He comes to UT from Sofia, Bulgaria with immense tournament experience gained from competing as an amateur on the ATP tour and at the ITF world junior tournaments. This experience adds to his ability to read and exploit his opponent's weaknesses quickly. Zavala (Amarillo, Texas), a man of few words and a great all-court player, comes in with an impressive national junior resume. He was ranked No. 5 in the country in singles and No. 7 in doubles. The foursome is extremely talented, but more importantly, the guys are eager to "B-I-U" -- that's "Back It Up." For those not familiar with the men's squad, "B-I-U" is the team's motivational slogan for the year which they proudly wear on the back of their shirts. It is also a perfect follow to last year's "L-P-I" ("Let's Prove It") team slogan. Knowing what UT men's tennis accomplished last year, these 2006-07 players have a lot to back up. Last spring, Texas went 26-4 and captured the Big 12 regular season title and Big 12 tournament trophy. They dominated at the national level, as well, advancing to the NCAA Championship semifinals (Final Four) in Palo Alto, Calif., where they lost to eventual NCAA Champion Pepperdine. The team earned its recognition as one of the top tennis programs in the nation with its third-place national finish. This was the best season of Texas Tennis in the six years under Center, and one of the best in school history. The freshmen definitely are ready to help the team in its goal to make another run at the NCAA title. As a group, they might fool you into thinking they are goofy and overly "chill," but they all know exactly what they have to do to succeed. "There is no easy road to success, and we all know it here. The past results only serve as motivation to us, and we want to take it further this year," says Wiegand. "Last year's accomplishments don't pressure us," adds Schellenberg. "They only make us more eager to prove ourselves to the coaches, as well as to our teammates." Yet, proving themselves to their upper-class teammates is something that takes more effort than just working hard on the tennis courts. The rookies undergo some "strict" freshmen team rules that include coming in early and putting the water out on the courts, making sure the locker room is always nice and clean, and always sitting in the back seat of the van. Still, the freshmen are taking in every moment of their young college lives and are evolving together. "I love the team's atmosphere and the feeling of working together toward the same goal together," says Kutrovsky. "Back in Bulgaria, I didn't even have a coach, and now I have three coaches, trainers, teammates, academic counselors and tutors all working to help me get better." Zavala nodded his head in agreement, adding that, "the support my teammates provide to one another is tremendous and it makes my freshman life that much easier." Putting aside the support they give and get on the team, their competitive spirits don't allow for much generosity or consideration when it comes to playing tennis. Each player carries a distinct game style and wants to excel individually, as well. That is why the freshmen say it really helps having former Texas standout Roger Gubser as the Longhorns' volunteer assistant coach. Gubser finished his eligibility at Texas last spring after being one of the most dedicated team captains in UT tennis history. "It's great to have Roger by our side. He has been through all the things that we have to go through now, so it makes it easier for us to relate to him," Schellenberg explains. "Roger helps us realize the role each player has on the team and he instills his leadership skills in every one of us," Zavala adds. Gubser simply says he enjoys helping these young men grow and improve and manage their competitiveness. "As I look at them, I see a part of myself out there not too long ago," says Gubser. "They need to learn how to preserve their individual uniqueness and tie it back into a cohesive team unit. I know how crucial it was for me to have some senior guidance on this, and that is what I try to give to them." Center and assistant coach Ricardo Rubio also are pleased to have Gubser help out. "We have a very young team this year, probably one of the youngest in the nation with four freshmen, one sophomore, three juniors and a redshirt senior, so Roger means a great deal to us," Center notes. "As a group we look at the future with confidence and optimism because we know how talented and hard working these men are." As UT defends its Big 12 Championships in a league with four top-15 ranked programs, this freshman talent, cohesiveness and "team-first" attitude will go a long way and will help UT maintain its status as one of the top teams in the nation.
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