Off-the-court issues can't keep Moorpark girls' tennis team down
Musketeers still competing well despite loss of coach, players
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers RETURN TO SENDER- Moorpark's Shalini Karra slices a forehand shot during practice. Karra rebounded this year after suffering a torn ACL in her knee.

There is an old cliché that says never judge a book by its cover. In sports, sometimes it's tough to judge a team solely by its wonloss record.

Never does that ring more true than with the girls' tennis team at Moorpark High, which is currently 2-9 overall. Although the Musketeers have struggled, the team has fought adversity in addition to its Marmonte League opponents this season.

Last August, Moorpark head coach Sandy Jacobs was forced to deal with more important things than coaching when her daughter, Heather, was injured in a car accident on the 405 freeway.

The former Musketeer broke 12 ribs and her lung collapsed. According to her sister, sophomore Chrissy Jacobs, Heather has improved since the season started.

"It's been hard playing this season with (Heather) on my mind, but it hasn't been too bad since she has improved slowly and is currently doing better in the last month," Chrissy Jacobs said.

With Sandy Jacobs at her daughter's side, the coaching duties were handed over to interim coach David McNamara, whose daughter Keiko plays on the team.

"I knew Jacobs from last year watching my daughter play, and when I heard about the accident, I just felt awful," David McNamara said. "I called Sandy and told her if there was anything she needed help with to let me know."

The team was then faced with having to have a third-period P.E. class instead of a sixth-period class, which McNamara said would have academically been very tough.

"At that point I talked with Sandy and told her I could take over the team for a while," McNamara said. "Jacobs then talked with the athletic director, Rob Dearborn, and cleared everything with him. I then made it clear to Mr. Dearborn that I was only temporary and whenever Jacobs wanted to come back she was the head coach- not me."

McNamara, who had previously coached boys' hockey, said since that meeting he has received a lot of support from both the players and the parents, and his job has become easier because of them.

Although their record may not indicate it, McNamara also has had a chance to witness some good tennis. Returning for her fourth year on the varsity squad is No. 1 singles player Kim Kolibas, one of the best singles players in Ventura County.

"I like being the team's No. 1 player," Kolibas said. "I've been working a lot on my volleys in the offseason. I guess I'm known for playing well at the net- and I like playing the net- but I think my play from the baseline is now just as good."

Also returning for the Musketeers is No. 2 singles player senior Jessica Sworzyn. Rounding out the singles is junior Tiffany Dam, who's listed as the Musketeers' third singles option.

Although the singles play has held its own, there's a general feeling around Moorpark that the team could have been even better. This year Moorpark gained transfer Zoe Sophos from La Reina High, but according to CIF rules, Sophos can only play on the junior varsity level in her first year at Moorpark after the transfer.

Although McNamara admits to hearing something about the rule before the season started, it didn't stop him from getting upset after Sophos, who lives in Moorpark and transferred for academic reasons, was denied access to the varsity team.

"Perhaps I am a bit naive, but I find it hard to believe that a significant number of transfer requests are the result of the recruitment of athletes by coaches or by the student with the sole intention of playing their sport for a particular high school," McNamara wrote in a letter to the CIF.

The doubles team is led by Chrissy Jacobs and Shalini Karra, who McNamara called one of the team's biggest strengths.

"Shalini used to play singles, but she had a torn ACL and can't quite cover the entire court like she used to," McNamara said. "Still, she is a great player for doubles, and besides getting swept by Calabasas' great team, they have won the majority of their matches."

The No. 2 doubles features McNamara's daughter, Keiko, paired up with sophomore Kelly Akashi. The No. 3 doubles squad has seen many different combinations, including freshman Gillian Modlin, senior Brittani Thesman as well as sophomore Jessika Wu and her sister, freshman Tina Wu.

McNamara said it's been tough seeing the team's record falter, but he forgets about it when he watches how well the girls get along with each other and the other teams they play.

"Of course everybody wants to win, and that is more exciting, but it's still a pleasure to watch this team, and I'm glad they got their values on straight," McNamara said.

"They represent what high school tennis should be about. They are all good girls and whether they win 6-0 or lose 6-0, they are always complimenting their opponent when they hit a nice shot."