Injuries the only thing holding Calabasas girls' tennis team back

Eileen Chang Because many players on Calabasas High's girls' tennis team have been hobbled by injuries during the past few weeks, the Coyotes may want to put caution tape over its home court. Once those players regain their health, however, the rest of the Marmonte League could be hurting.

This week CHS will begin its quest to defend the Marmonte League title. The Coyotes have dominated the league in recent years. They haven't lost a match in league since 2001.

Teams like Thousand Oaks will certainly have a say in what happens in 2006, but Calabasas' biggest opponents to start the year may be themselves, and that's because of the injuries.

CHS junior Brittney Harper injured a back muscle in a tournament a week ago and senior Erin Wiesener is out two weeks with a shoulder ailment.

Sophomore Afton Ashforth injured her calf and has no timetable for a return, while Eileen Chang just came back from an ankle problem and finally began practicing this week.

"With all the injuries, our starters now will have to pick up the pace," Calabasas head coach Kim Kinberg said. "And everyone seems to be doing that, especially the doubles teams."

POWER-Tiffany Harper crushes a serve during practice at Calabasas High. Despite injuries, CHS remains the Marmonte favorite. Kinberg said she still has no idea who's going to be healthy enough to play at the onset of the season. Still, Kinberg said she likes what she sees with the 2006 Coyotes.

"Thankfully, we have a lot of depth," Kinberg said. "Many coaches have told me that I have so many good players that my job is easy and I can sit back and relax. But it's hard deciding who to play when and where with so many good players. I guess it's a nice problem to have.

"Everyone is working hard out here and we are getting to be more consistent," she said. "The communication is better on this team than in years past, and it seems this team is learning to move around on the court more."

Once Calabasas gets healthy, the team should have very few weaknesses.

Even though they lost great players like Kristen McVitty and Jennifer Bernstein to graduation, the Coyotes have many successful returnees.

Leading the team will be senior captain Jillian Schnitman. Also returning will be 2005 Marmonte singles champion Harper, and her twin sister, Tiffany.

The Harpers aren't the only sisters on the team; Chang will have her younger sister Valerie returning to the squad as well.

Sophomores Ashforth and Sabrina Man-Son-Hing should see more time in their second year on the varsity team. Junior Dani Stern joins the team this year, as does senior Alex Ehrlick, who makes the squad after three years at the junior varsity level.

While Ehrlick will be out for a good portion of the season, Kinberg is hoping she'll be able to come back near the end of the year after playing so hard for her on the junior varsity team. CHS also has had a nice surprise with freshman Florence Hernandez.

"Florence is a natural lefty, so that's a natural advantage that we will have," Kinberg said.

"She has a lot of spin on the ball and with her being lefthanded, the spin will be coming differently than players are used to seeing. She is very easy to coach. I will tell her to go to different places and she always does with a huge smile on her face," the coach said.

According to Brittney Harper, Hernandez isn't the only one smiling, as the team has the best chemistry of any squad she has ever played on.

"All of the girls, especially the ones coming up from the J.V. level, seem to be playing with something to prove," Brittney Harper said. "It's like our whole team is one big family and we are all really working well together to win league again."

Harper also said that her back problems have been on and off for a while now, adding she hopes to play later this week before league play starts against Moorpark on Tuesday.

As far as the pressure this team has with not having lost a league match in four years, Harper said the team pays no attention to it.

"We don't really think about it that much," Brittney Harper said. "It's just something that's there, but we know that we are a very good team, and if we play well, we will win."