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The women's tennis team at Boston College has recently acquired four new members. Most of their names may be hard to say, but each is an extremely tough competitor. They are a dominating new group who are looking to bring BC's tennis program into the future.
Hailing from all over, the fearsome foursome of Alina Sullivan, Lana Krasnopolsky, Sarah Svoboda and Dasha Cherkasov, find their homes in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, New York and Massachusetts. But it goes farther than that. Cherkasov moved from Russia just after she was born, while Krasnopolsky traveled from Ukraine to the United States at age two. But now that they find themselves in Chestnut Hill for the next four years, the girls are looking to take their skills to a new level.
"They are going to bring a whole new attitude to BC with enough talent to compete in the ACC," said head coach Nigel Bentley.
A new attitude is exactly what the four are bringing. There is already a sense of closeness and camaraderie that is characteristic of a team that's been together for some time. The four have had the opportunities to meet at numerous competitions over the years, so they didn't come to BC as strangers.
"We click well together," said Krasnoplosky. "We call ourselves 'The Clan,' we each lunch together. We're really close friends."
They were welcomed to BC by their elder teammates as well. "They are like our big sisters," she continued. "We are learning from each other," added Cherkasov.
"The Clan" has been preparing a long time for the BC stage. Each started playing tennis at a young age, even as young as three. Their reasons for starting were similar, and their parents were the the driving force behind their play.
"Both of my parents played, my dad at Harvard and my mom and ASU. They were the ones who got me started," said Sullivan.
Krasnopolsky, Cherkasov, and Svoboda said that it was their fathers who wanted them to start playing Svoboda said.
Svoboda's father was an All Star in the NHL. He won the Stanley Cup and played for a total of eighteen years, so it's no surprise that his athletic talents have been passed down to a new generation and new sport.
"My dad thought playing a sport was healthy. Also, tennis is a sport you can play for your lifetime."
Cherkasov added that her dad was just looking for a tennis partner. "He has to find a new partner now, though," she added.
After a .500 season last year, which Bentley called, "disappointing," he is looking forward to having fresh faces. With the start of this new school year, he hopes to really strengthen his team for the next semester. He commented that the "fall season is about getting better for the spring. There are lots of pressure matches, but it's a privilege to play in these tough matches because it shows that they've done well."
So far, the team has proven to have a great potential. The top four seeds for the Eagles finished 11-4 in the William and Mary Invitational. The four freshmen really proved to be top contenders. Cherkasov defeated three opponents, the first two in straight sets. Krasnopolsky made it into the finals before losing in a tough three set match. Sullivan defeated her first opponent and Svoboda gave the top seed in her flight a struggle, taking her match to three sets as well.
Bentley was very proud of his new players. "We now have the opportunity to play the best teams. It's going to be tough to be good in such a competitive conference. But these girls have the work ethic and commitment to get it done," he said.
The weekend before, Krasnopolsky and Cherkasov were also invited to play in the ITA All American championships. Both won two rounds, but unfortunately lost in the third qualifying round.
Bentley still expressed numerous times how extremely proud he was. "It's just an honor to have players invited to the tournament. But these girls really played well, and we are showing teams that we're here to compete," he said.
With all these tough challenges ahead, the freshmen and their teammates have a few hopes for the future of tennis at BC. They are sending the word to all students that the team needs their support. According to Cherkasov, the girls are looking for one thing in the ACC - respect.
"We need more people to be attracted, more fans," said Krasnopolsky.
"We are ready to be ranked and we just want the support of the students," Sullivan added.
With little attendance in the past years, fan support for tennis is lacking. But better competition deserves better recognition. The Eagles are working hard to seal their place in the ACC and are hopeful for some better fan turnouts to help them do that.
"We want to leave our mark," said Bentley, who is very excited about the year ahead. "I believe that we are going to be a nationally contending team."
So let's welcome "The Clan" to BC. Don't be surprised if you hear their names again, even if you aren't ever really sure how to spell them.
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