DANIEL
CASQUERO SPOTLIGHT4-10-03
Parents often warn their children not to do what their friends do. How many times did you hear from your parents (or say to your own children) 'If Jimmy jumps off a cliff, would you jump too?' In the case of Daniel Casquero (Malaga, Spain), a senior on the men's tennis team, jumping from Spain to follow childhood friend Fernando Sanchez to the United States and VCU has been a successful leap. Casquero has compiled an impressive record of 49-12 in his two-plus seasons at VCU, including a perfect 17-0 mark in dual matches this spring. He was a first team all-CAA performer his first season and made the second team last year. Plus he will graduate this December with a degree in information systems.
"[Coming to VCU] has been the best decision of my life," Casquero said. "I knew the education at the university level was better here than in Spain, but I didn't know anything about VCU's athletics programs and how they compared to other colleges. Fernando really helped me understand what to expect here and answer my questions."
Now a senior, Casquero has helped two other Spanish imports with the same adjustments he faced when he arrived at VCU in January of 2001. Last year it was junior Pedro Nieto (Sevilla, Spain), who also played tennis with Casquero and Sanchez as youths in Spain, and this spring freshman Francesc Lleal (Barcelona, Spain) joined the team. The three current players, along with Sanchez, who is an assistant to head coach Paul Kostin, share an apartment together. "Sometimes it feels like we're more at home instead of so far away," Casquero said.
Casquero feels his decision to come to VCU was certainly the right thing to do academically. He admits he responds better to the methods of teaching in the United States than in Spain and has learned more as a result. But he also thinks his tennis has benefited as well despite playing much less than he had in Spain, crediting his coach as well as the team experience for his success.
"Our coach is really straightforward; I like his style," said Casquero of Kostin. "He sees things differently than other coaches and knows we're students too and we have to keep up with our academics. Some coaches get their players up at 6:00 in the morning for training and have them practice for four hours a day. But if we need time to study and cut practice short, [Kostin] is OK with that. He gives us the freedom to decide for ourselves how much practice we need. It makes me feel good in the matches because I've been allowed to prepare the way I need to prepare."
He also likes being a part of a team, something that was new to Casquero. "In Spain you compete as an individual," he said. "But I really like the team experience. I sometimes look over at the other courts and cheer for my teammates during my own matches. It's nice to see the guys you practice with and see everyday cheering you on and supporting you. It makes you work even harder."
Although Casquero has played 16 career duals in the top three singles spots, he has found a comfort zone at the bottom half of the Rams' lineup. This season, the fourth, fifth and sixth singles positions have put up an impressive 37-5 mark in singles matches to lead the Rams to a 19-3 record, demonstrating the depth of this year's squad. Casquero, 8-0 at No. 4 and 4-0 at No. 5, categorizes himself as a baseline player and feels his success at the lower positions is a result of facing other players with a similar style. He also thinks the depth of the team raises the level of play of every player on the team, from the top to the bottom. "There's a lot of competitiveness on this team," he said. "You'll see the No. 5 guy playing well and you don't want to lose your spot, so you play harder. Anyone in our lineup can play No. 1 to No. 6 on this team."
Next weekend the Rams will shoot for their eighth consecutive CAA championship in the conference tournament at Byrd Park. In fact, the Rams have yet to lose to a CAA opponent since joining the conference in 1995-96.
"We will always have pressure to win [in the CAA] with the background we have," Casquero said. "But we know that we can beat anyone if we play our best. Conference matches aren't normal matches; anyone can beat us too. But [Kostin] just wants us to do our best, so we have no questions about our performance afterwards."
Although the Rams have played in the NCAA tournament in each of his two seasons at VCU, Casquero wants a taste of the success his pal Fernando experienced when the Rams went all the way to the finals in 2000. "We can do really well this year," he said. "It's pretty much the same team we had last year, and we know each other a lot better now, which helps. When we lost to Washington, who was ranked No. 7, 4-3 with some close matches that could have gone either way, it gave us the confidence that we could beat anyone in the country. Anything can happen, and that gives you hope to go for it all."
As for his own winning streak, Casquero just wants to keep doing what has made him the Rams' most consistent player this spring. "My first two years, I had good results and was happy with how I played," he said. "This year I'm playing with more confidence. When you're undefeated, you act differently in matches, like trying difficult shots because you have so much confidence in how you are playing.
"I would love to be undefeated this season; it would be a great way to finish my career. I'm going to try for it, and we'll see."