Expected Success

On April 7, the Pacific men’s tennis team defeated No. 13 San Diego on the home courts in Stockton, 4-3. 

Based off the rankings and perennial success of the Toreros, the victory on paper looks like a major upset victory for the Tigers. However, if you talk to the Tigers about the match, while they view it as a tremendous, hard-fought win, they wouldn’t say they were surprised either. 

“That was a wild match,” Pacific head coach Robin Goodman said. “We know how good we are in practice. People don’t always see our level. We can easily get overlooked. We know what to do in the big moments and how to play under pressure. We don’t need to be special. We made a big leap in thinking, ‘We can beat this team, to now, we’re expecting to beat this team.”

Earlier this season, the Tigers put together a 14-match winning streak and are in contention to win at least a share of the WCC regular season championship this weekend. Overall, this season, Pacific enters the final week of the regular season 16-2 overall and 5-1 in WCC matches. 

The Tigers’ success this season features multiple layers to it. They brought in a competitive group of newcomers this season that have pushed the upperclassmen. They have incorporated a process of utilizing data analytics. As Goodman stated, the team has simply bought into the process. 

For upperclassmen like senior Ran Amar, it’s been a lot of hard work but also fun to see how much the program has grown since he first arrived in Stockton. 

“We aren’t surprised from our level of play,” Amar said. “We think we can play better. It’s crazy and, if I look back to the past two seasons, it’s fun to win and we’ve gotten used to it. So, we’re trying to enjoy it and just keep winning more.”

Amar, who has another year of eligibility due to first arriving in school during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season, made his way to Stockton with some leadership and growth experience that not many collegiate student-athletes can list on their resume. 

A native of Arad, Israel, prior to starting college, Amar enlisted in the Israeli army at the age of 18. It was a voluntary service that he said he wanted to do. 

“I wanted to do it at the age of 18 because it’s better for your career,” he said. “I was lucky enough to still practice and play tennis tournaments during my days off. It’s not ideal because I was still a solider wearing a uniform, it wasn’t easy. I wanted to do it and I was proud to serve and lucky enough to continue playing. Then I still wound up going to college at the age of 22. Not too bad.”

Besides being able to continue playing the game he loves while serving his country, Amar’s time in the military taught him multiple lessons that he carries with him now as a leader for the Tigers. 

“The military taught me discipline about being a part of something bigger than you,” Amar said. “You may not always agree with everything you’ve been told, but you have to follow a set of rules. Student-athletes sometimes forget they’re students and part of an organization. So, it helped me understand, especially for me being a captain. I may not always agree with the coach, but I know I need to lead the team and do what’s best for everyone. You have to believe it will pay off eventually. You see that in the military.”

Goodman witnessed firsthand the strength and determination Amar possesses, and it rubs off on his teammates as a leader. He remembers coming out for a fall individual tournament two years ago and watching Amar with a medicine ball practicing his forehand against the wall. Goodman said you don’t see that sort of stuff in that time of the year.

“Ran is beyond special,” Goodman said. “He’s been our captain since Day 1. We wouldn’t be where we are right now if it wasn’t for him. It’s all the little things that go unnoticed. He leads by example. He’s the most competitive person I’ve ever met, let alone coach.”

Goodman loves seeing that drive by Amar during a time of the year like the fall because one of the aspects of the program’s 2024 success Goodman attributes is upgraded competition levels in practice. He said the Tigers featured the desired talent level last year, a season that ended with a 5-15 overall record, but they just didn’t know how to cross the finish line and win at that point in 2023. 

He knew the talent was there after a tough non-conference opponent gave them some kudos last season. 

“Last year, we played tough against then-No. 25 UC Santa Barbara, and all the matches were close,” Goodman said. “The Gauchos said afterwards, ‘Wow, you guys are really good.’ They have been itching for more opportunities like that to prove themselves.”

Another big opportunity is coming up this weekend for the Tigers in the final weekend of the regular season. Pacific heads to Gonzaga tomorrow morning before wrapping up the regular season at home against defending WCC champion Pepperdine. 

As Amar put it, though, as much fun as it is to revel in their success this season, the Tigers prefer to live in the present and just keep going.