Sports
Boys Tennis Looks to Rebuild
Coach Randy Chew is hopeful his Venice High team can make the playoffs.
The Venice High boys' tennis team will need some of its younger players to step up if the squad wants to make noise in the City Section playoffs this season. The Gondoliers lost seven of their top 10 players last year to graduation--including their top two singles players. Coach Randy Chew, whose son Stephen was one of last's years top players, knows he has a big task on his hands.
“We made it to the quarterfinals of the City Invitational [playoffs] last year, but we lost a lot of big players," Chew said. "This year will be a challenge. I have 15 new players this year so we need our three returners to step up big.”
Two of those returners are team captains Daniel Kim and Logan Dovangsitthi. Also back is Ryan Costello, who was the Gondoliers' No. 4 player two years ago before he moved to Arizona for a year. He has returned and Chew said Costello has gotten good enough to play No. 1 singles.
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“Ryan is vastly improved," Chew said. "He’s going to be a big factor for me this year. I need him and the captains to help develop the other kids both on and off the court for us to succeed this year.”
Much like the girls' tennis team, Venice will have the toughest challenge dealing with defending City champion Palisades. Chew said the Dolphins had 10 to 12 nationally-ranked players last year, and he expects more of the same this year.
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“I’m hoping to make playoffs this year," Chew said. "I have been here for 10 years and since then we have only missed playoffs once (his first year). Before I came here, the boys team didn’t win any games, so I’m proud of our progress. But this year might be my toughest challenge in a while.”
Even though Chew would love for his team to make the playoffs he really has only one goal for his players and it has more to do with how they play the game than the final results.
“I just want my kids to develop character both on and off the court," Chew said. "We pride ourselves on playing with integrity and good nature. If a ball is even close to being out, I want them to play it. That’s the way I coach and that’s the way I want them to play.”
