Netters face DePaul in Big Ten warmup By Brian Steere For the Daily The Michigan men's tennis team enters this season with one major goal in mind - win the Big Ten title. This accomplishment would be a fitting end to the careers of four seniors who've never experienced a championship season at Michigan. Senior co-captain Brad McFarlane firmly declared his expectations for this year's squad. "Along with being the most talented team that I've played on, this year's club has the best chemistry," McFarlane said. "And we feel that we can come out on top." No. 1 singles player Matt Wright echoed the feelings of his fellow senior. "It comes down to believing in yourself and knowing that you can get the job done," Wright said. "I'd love to go out with a Big Ten title." Wright feels as confident as ever, and believes that he's performing up to his potential after taking second at the Big Ten Singles Championships. "I'm playing well right now, and hopefully, I can continue to win for the team throughout the season," he said. McFarlane plays doubles along with fellow co-captain and roommate John Long. "John and I have a great time out on the court, and I think that helps us play better," Long said. "We both have the right attitude which is important for a doubles team." The Wolverines began the 2000 dual-meet campaign with a convincing 6-1 victory over non-conference opponent Western Michigan. First-year coach Mark Mees was pleased with his team's performance. "Despite starting a little slow in the beginning our guys settled down nicely and began playing some great tennis," Mees said. Next up for the team is regional opponent DePaul, who'll invade Ann Arbor on Saturday for a 1 p.m. showdown at the Varsity Tennis Center. Although Michigan has enough seniors to provide much of the leadership, this year's squad is relatively young with three sophomores and three new freshmen. Each of the sophomores earned varsity letters a year ago and were an integral part of the team's success. Ben Cox, Henry Beam, and Danny McCain all began their second years with convincing straight-set victories over Western Michigan. Cox added a doubles win with senior Ron Nano to complete the triumph. DANNY KALICK/Daily After his group won the mock rock competition for its rendition of "I Want It That Way," John Long (above) hopes to have the same success this weekend against DePaul. Originally on page 11A in the 1-27-2000 issue of the Daily.