Coming off its 16th straight Mission League title, the boys’ tennis team is hoping to make it to CIF semifinals. The Wolverines are projected to win league again this year, but the main obstacle in achieving their CIF goal is University High School in Irvine.

Last season the team went undefeated, 10-0 in league but had an overall record of 23-4, losing to Corona Del Mar in the semifinals of CIF playoffs.

University has its strongest team in years, with  three players ranked top 10 nationally in the 18s division. Senior Gage Brymer is the second best singles player in the nation while his classmates Stefan Menichella and Tyler Lu follow suit at numbers seven and ten respectively.

Apart from these high ranking individuals, University has depth, with players like junior Drew Dawson seated at 181.

Max Rothman ’14’s selection as best player on the team, Michael Genender ’15 is rated 22nd in nation, which will help combat the powerhouse that is University tennis.

Four starting seniors graduated last season, including Jackson Frons ’12. In addition, no current seniors, including captains Dylan Eisner ’13 and Harrison Kalt ’13 have committed to college for tennis.

“I think our team is better than it was last year,” Sam Hummel ’14 said. “We have really competitive players.”

Rothman is confident in his team’s ability.

“We have some young players and a lot of returning players who have improved,” Rothman said. “But we lack experience.”

Because of this lack of experience, the Wolverines’ scrimmages against Beverly Hills High and Peninsula High School will be extremely important in preparation for their league opener on Feb. 21 against Calabasas, Hummel said.