In a battle between 2 of the top 4 teams in CIF Division 2, the outcome was decided by Cate’s decisive advantage in singles. The 9-9 (79-65) win for the Rams over the defending champion Coyotes move Cate into a CIF Finals match for the 2nd time in 4 years.
How it Happened:
Cate’s trio of standout singles players continued to impress, taking a 23-game lead (41-18) and 6 set-wins. Juniors Jade Wang and Ivy Huang, as well as freshman Elizabeth Jayich all finished 2-1 on the day. Wang moves to 10-1 across 4 playoff matches, while Jayich is now 8-3 and Huang is 10-2, mixing between singles and doubles play. On the Calabasas end of the singles scoresheet, UTR 8.9-rated Alena Koltsova was too much to overcome, going 3-0 on the day and keeping the Coyotes in the hunt.
In doubles, Calabasas came up with a few big tie-break set-wins after the match was already decided, giving them a 6-3 (47-38) final edge in a doubles competition that was very even throughout the match. Cate landed two wins in the first round, helping the team to a 4-2 lead that was never again relinquished.
Seniors Claire Tang and Edie Abbott were a key part of the victory today, scoring a 6-4 first round win, before losing a tough second round set. In the third round, and with match result secured, sophomore Margo Nicholas took Abbott’s place for a 2-6 final set.
The Cate duos of Lisa Hasebe/Kiki Chang and Elly Edwards/Chelsea Newlove were competitive in all three of their matches, each taking a win on the day and each holding leads in the finals two sets on court, before taking a foot off the gas.
Coach Thorpe’s Comments:
Calabasas through up a tough challenge for us today, but again we showed our class, taking an early (if small) lead and maintaining it throughout the remainder of the match.
It’s hard to go out against a team that’s got a D1 college-bound player to anchor the lineup, but again we overcame top-end strength with across-the-board depth. Huge credit goes to all three of our singles players today, who were laser-focused from start to finish.
We’re looking forward to a rematch with Campbell Hall tomorrow at my alma mater (University of Redlands) Verdieck Tennis Center. We lost a close one to them in the CIF D2 semifinals in 2024, even holding a few match points, and then they won easily in the finals. We’ve got 6 players from that match that will likely be starting for us again tomorrow, so that’s extra incentive to close out the season undefeated.
What’s Next for Cate Girls’ Tennis?
Cate (18-0) will face Campbell Hall (17-2) at University of Redlands at 3pm tomorrow in what is sure to be a compelling watch. Both teams came through their semifinals matches with wins on games (Campbell Hall d. University/Irvine 9-9, 70-68) and will be playing a day earlier than scheduled due to forecasted rain on Friday.
