trevorthorpetravels

Cate Marches into CIF Semifinals With 12-6 Win

Cate girls’ tennis (15-0 overall) has defeated defending CIF D4 Champion Mark Keppel High School (15-7 overall) by a 12-6 final score. The matchup had been highly anticipated by Cate, with Keppel opening the season as the top-seeded team in Division 3 and led by two college tennis-bound singles players. In the end, the Rams were able to overcome the singles onslaught with depth throughout the lineup, including a clean sweep of the doubles sets.

How it happened:

With Mark Keppel’s strength in the lineup tilted to the top end, Cate reshuffled the deck, pairing #2 singles player Lisa Hasebe with Frances Davis and #3 singles player Reyna Takahashi with her recent league individuals tournament partner Colette Chang. The #3 doubles pairing from Friday’s match against Fullerton (Claire Bianchi and Pyper Davis) slotted into the open singles positions.

Hasebe and Davis cruised to a quick 6-0 win at the #2 spot, while the younger Davis sister took care of business with a 6-0 set-win at #3 singles. Two more wins in doubles followed, with Chang/Takahashi taking the match-up of #1 teams 6-2, and Sophie Alijani and Elsie Chamberlain rallying from 1-2 down to win 5 consecutive games.

Though Cate was unable to get wins at #1 singles from Bianchi against Dana Kunza or #2 singles from Alyna Takahashi against Noor Abani, the team accomplished it’s objective of taking a 4-2 lead in the first round with the strategic lineup.

In the second round, Bianchi grabbed a quick 6-1 set from the Keppel #3, while doubles again swept in convincing fashion. Takahashi rattled the UTR 7 senior from Keppel, firing stinging blows to the corners off both the forehand and backhand side and serving with considerable might. The match remained locked in a back-and-forth battle to the midpoint, engaging the crowd that gathered to watch the two top players, but eventually the higher-ranked player prevailed, 6-3. Still, the Cate senior captain showed that she is amongst the best singles players in Division 3.

After two rounds, it was clear that the Cate lineup strategy was working, with Cate looking likely to sweep all three doubles positions and pick up easy victories at #3 singles. Chang and Takahashi took the overall score to 9-4 with a speedy 6-1 win the final round, followed within two minutes by the match-clinching win from Hasebe and Davis, 6-0 against the Keppel #2 team. Keppel’s top duo continued to dominate, making the score 10-6, though partially off-set by Alyna Takahashi’s 6-0 third-round win to make 11-6.

The final match on-court was Mark Keppel’s top doubles team facing Cate’s #3’s. Alijani and Chamberlain got off to a flying start, winning 5 of the first 6 games on aggressive net-play, but the match momentum swung back in the other direction as Keppel settled in and took advantage of a few Cate errors. At 5-4, Alijani/Chamberlain regained their focus and closed the door, completing the 9-0 doubles sweep on the day for Cate tennis.

Coach Thorpe’s Comments:

I’m so proud of my girls for their performance today. They played their hearts out, stuck to our game-plan, and had complete faith in each other and in what we were trying to do to win the match.

We have had this Keppel team in our sights the entire season, since they were the defending CIF Champions and had such a strong 1-2 combo in the singles lineup. We have a lot of strength at the top of our lineup, too, but our normal singles lineup wasn’t going to get it done in this particular situation.

I got together with our assistant coach, Mark Polowczak, and our captains Alyna and Sophie, and we worked out the best lineup to handle this particular matchup. Conveniently, Reyna and Colette just spent a week playing doubles together for TVL Individuals, where they earned first-team all-league honors. Lisa and Frances had also played together in one match earlier in the season, so we knew that was a combo we could go back to if needed.

We also know that both Claire and Pyper are probably even better singles players than they are in doubles, with a combined record of 21-4 in singles play during the regular season. Moving them into the singles lineup wasn’t anything new and they were both excited to take on that responsibility.

The bottom line is, Cate girls’ tennis is 100% committed to the team result, however we can best achieve it. We know that every single playoff school in our CIF Division is bigger than ours, but it’s unlikely we’ll face a team that’s more close-knit or dedicated to each other. This is how mountains get moved!

What’s next for Cate Girls’ Tennis?

Cate travels to Cerritos High School on Wednesday for a CIF Semifinal match scheduled to begin at 2pm. Cerritos (17-3 overall) entered the playoffs as the #3-seeded team, with Cate (15-0 overall) slightly favored as the #2 seed. The winner will play for the CIF D3 Championship against either Oaks Christian or Culver City on Friday, November 10th at The Claremont Club.

Cate Advances to CIF Quarterfinals with Pair of Wins

Cate girls’ tennis has reached the CIF D3 Quarterfinal round today with a 10-8 victory at Fullerton High School. The win comes after a convincing 15-3 first-round victory against visiting Hoover High School on Wednesday. Cate moves to 14-0 this season and will now face last year’s CIF D4 Champions, Mark Keppel, in what is sure to be a more tightly-contested match.

Cate v. Hoover: 15-3 Win

Cate dominated the match from start-to-finish, taking the opening round 5-1 and never looking back. Sisters Alyna and Reyna Takahashi swept their 6 sets, while recently-crowned TVL singles champion Lisa Hasebe went 2-0 before being substituted.

In doubles play, Frances Davis and Colette Chang paired for 3 wins, while Sophie Alijani/Pyper Davis and Claire Bianchi/Elsie Chamberlain added 2 sets each.

Cate @ Fullerton: 10-8 Win

The #2-seeded Cate girls team faced stiffer competition from Fullerton High today. After traveling more than 3 hours, Cate came out flat in doubles early. However, Sophie Alijani and Elsie Chamberlain battled back from 0-4 down for a 6-4 win that would prove important down the road. Cate faired better in singles, with senior Alyna Takahashi defeating the #1 Abigail Kelly (6-2), while Lisa Hasebe and Reyna Takahashi also won their sets.

Cate maintained a small lead through the second round, with the teams locked in a 7-5 battle at the turn. Alyna and Reyna Takahashi closed the door on Fullerton with 6-0 and 6-2 wins, giving Cate a 9-5 advantage and an insurmountable lead in games (in the event of a tie in sets).

Fullerton battled on for another half-hour, taking the final singles set and two more close doubles sets, before senior Frances Davis and junior Colette Chang stemmed the losing streak. Davis and Chang returned to the form that saw them sweep on Wednesday, winning the final 5 games to earn Cate a 10th win to close out the match.

Coach Thorpe’s Comments:

Even as the #2-seeded team, we’ve been really focused on taking things one match at a time. It’s a good thing, too, because Fullerton was a really strong team with a lot of depth. We’re pleased to come through this round and looking forward to playing last year’s D4 CIF Champions on Monday at Cate.

I am particularly impressed by the way Alyna has been holding it down for us at #1 singles. She’s playing on another level right now and it’s great when a senior captain can lead by example.

I’m also really pleased by the way every single player on the team battled today, even when they were behind in sets. We’re definitely going to need to bring that intensity throughout next week to earn ourselves a shot at the CIF Championship. It’s all or nothing and we’re all in it together!

What’s next for Cate Tennis?

Cate returns to action on Monday against visiting Mark Keppel High School. Play will begin at or before 2pm.

Cate Girls Dominate TVL Individuals Tournament

Cate claimed the top two singles positions in TVL Individuals, while all six Cate players in the tournament achieved first-team all-league honors.

Singles Play

It was a battle between two undefeated Cate players for the Tri-Valley League Singles Title. Alyna Takahashi came in as the #1 seed, boasting a 16-0 league record. The senior was looking to go one step farther after finishing runner-up in last year’s tournament. It was not to be though, as freshman Lisa Hasebe (now 21-0 in league singles play) brought her highest level to the all-Cate final.

Hasebe jumped to a 3-0 lead early, although the points themselves were anything but uneven. Both players went deep into the rallies, pushing each other from corner to corner and probing for weak points. Takahashi regrouped after the tough start, eventually turning the first set to her advantage when she took a 5-4 lead with multiple stinging blows crosscourt from the forehand side to Hasebe’s backhand.

Again though, the momentum shifted as the freshman blended her own aggressive play with a mix of heavy topspin balls and drop-shots. Hasebe not only took the first set (7-5), but pushed on to gain a 4-1 lead in the second set. Again, Takahashi grinded her way back into the match with some big serving this time and then a break as Hasebe suddenly became a bit more tentative. With the Hasebe now leading just 5-4, the two traded points on Hasebe’s serve until the standout freshman closed out the match 6-4 in the second set.

Doubles Play

Cate was simultaneously in action on the doubles end of the tournament, with junior/freshman combo Colette Chang/Reyna Takahashi taking on the defending champions from Foothill Tech, junior/senior combo Julia Geib/Lola Tennison. Chang and Takahashi are a much newer combo, having only played 5 matches total together after injury curtailed the majority of both of their 2023 seasons.

Despite the new partnership, Chang and Takahashi battled gamely, pushing to an early 3-2 lead against Geib and Tennison, whose TVL unbeaten-streak goes back to the 2021 season. The momentum shifted with a few double faults from the Cate team at crucial moments, and the Foothill team was able to turn the first set around for a 6-4 win. The second set was much the same, with Chang and Takahashi on the attack, but unable to get a significant edge. Foothill pulled away in the end, taking the last 3 games of the second set for a 6-3 victory.

Cate’s #2 doubles team, seniors Sophie Alijani and Frances Davis met a similar fate in the semifinal round, losing 3-6, 3-6 to Foothill, but had a much better result in the battle for 3rd place and the last first-team all-league spot. Alijani and Davis faced Laguna Blanca’s top doubles duo, seniors Grace Trautwein and Lucia Camp. The Cate seniors came out on top with a 6-2, 6-1 showing.

What’s next for Cate Girls’ Tennis?

Cate will begin its attempt to unify the CIF D3 titles, with Cate’s boys’ team having won the championship in spring of 2023. The unbeaten girls’ team will begin their run on November 1st, likely at home due to their position as the #1-seeded team in the tournament. Subsequent matches will be November 3rd, 6th, 8th, and 10th, assuming the team remains undefeated to the end of CIF Playoffs.

Cate Moves to #1 Seed in CIF Division 3 Ahead of Playoffs

Cate Girls’ Tennis has just been moved into the top position in CIF’s weekly polling of the top teams in each division. The team has steadily progressed throughout the season, first appearing at the #8 position, then #5, then #4.

Following the completion of an undefeated 12-0 season, with wins against multiple ranked teams and CIF Division 1 and 2 foes, the new polling list validates what has been a spectacular season. The playoffs, beginning in just over a week, offer perhaps the best opportunity in over 20 years for Cate girls’ tennis to win a CIF Team Title.

In the meantime, Cate will be hosting the Tri-Valley League Individuals Tournament this week, with Cate garnering many of the top seeds in that event.

In singles, Cate’s Alyna Takahashi and Lisa Hasebe will line up on opposite sides of the draw as the top seeds of the tournament. Both are undefeated this season in league singles play.

In doubles, Cate’s Colette Chang and Reyna Takahashi claim the #2-seed based on Takahashi’s undefeated singles record in league player and Chang’s status as a two-time all-league doubles player. Following closely behind as the #3-seed, senior duo Sophie Alijani and Frances Davis will look to continue their 13-0 mark as a team this season.

The team has been working hard to prepare for both playoffs and the individual tournaments coming up, and had a host of extra practice partners on-hand last Friday for “family practice.”

Cate Finishes Regular Season Play Undefeated, Seeded #4 in CIF

Cate girls’ tennis has finished regular season play this week with a trio of wins, moving to a perfect 12-0 on the season. After hosting cross-town rival Carpinteria High School on Monday (16-2 win), Cate was on the road against Royal High School (16-2 win) on Tuesday and then finished TVL play at Villanova High School in Ojai (18-0 win).

How it happened:

Senior team captain, Alyna Takahashi, went 8-0 at singles #1 for Cate, pushing her season record to 14-0 in league play and 24-1 overall. Takahashi will enter next week’s TVL Individuals tournament as the top seed, after finishing runner-up in the tournament last year.

Lisa Hasebe went 7-0 at singles #2, extending a 28-set singles win-streak that traces back to the second match of the season. The freshman is 30-1 in singles and 2-1 in doubles. Hasebe will enter next week’s TVL Individuals tournament as the #2-seeded player after going a perfect 19-0 in league singles play.

Reyna Takahashi had a late start to the season due to injury, but has wasted no time having an impact in both singles and doubles. The freshman registered 5 wins in doubles and 2 in singles, going 7-0 this week, and moving her season tally to 13-1 in singles and 10-2 in doubles. The younger Takahashi sister will partner with Colette Chang as one of the top-seeded doubles team in TVL Individuals.

Colette Chang, a two-time all-league doubles player, made her season debut on Thursday after a successful recovery from injury. The junior is 3-0 on the season and will partner with Reyna Takahashi for a third attempt at the TVL Doubles league title.

Frances Davis went 8-0 in doubles play this week, partnering with Reyna Takahashi against Carpinteria, before returning to usual partner Sophie Alijani in the final two matches of the season. The Cate senior moves to 25-3 overall in doubles play this season, and a flawless 13-0 when partnered with Alijani.

Senior team captain, Sophie Alijani, went 9-0 playing with Frances Davis and her sister Pyper Davis this week. Alijani is the winningest Cate player in the doubles lineup, achieving a 29-5 overall record this season. Alijani and Davis will try to continue their 13-set win-streak next week as one of the top-seeded teams in TVL Individuals.

After a 2-7 start to the season, sophomore Pyper Davis has been on an absolute tear in recent weeks. The younger Davis went 4-0 in doubles and 2-0 in singles this week and has now won 17 consecutive matches (9-0 singles, 8-0 doubles) since that early rough patch.

Claire Bianchi, the unofficial utility player of the team, went 6-0 in singles this week, and 13-4 overall this season. The sophomore has played a mix of singles and doubles this season, partnering with 5 different teammates for a 10-6 mark in doubles.

Elsie Chamberlain entered the season as a singles specialist, but recorded a 7-1 showing in doubles in this finals week. This caps a 22-9 overall record in doubles this season, partnering mostly with senior Caroline Batchelder.

Completing her first full season as a varsity starter, senior Caroline Batchelder has undoubtedly come into her own in recent weeks, including a 7-1 mark this week with Chamberlain. Batchelder posted a 23-12 overall record at the #3 doubles position for Cate.

The freshman trio of Gwendi Rogers, Claire Tang, and Sophie Blank combined for 4 set-wins this week, adding to 6 set-wins in earlier matches this season. The trio will undoubtedly take on an increasingly important role for the team in their sophomore season, with 4 starters set to graduate at the end of the year.

Coach Thorpe’s Comments:

Amongst many moments worth highlighting this week, Claire Bianchi’s battle back from down 3-5 against the Carpinteria #2 player comes to mind. That’s the sort of tenacious, never-say-die effort we need to take into the playoffs, where matches are likely to be more competitive. It was also awesome to see Colette Chang finally back in the lineup after missing the entire season until now, due to injury. She has worked so diligently to get back and now she gets the reward of finishing the regular season undefeated (3-0)!

Speaking of undefeated, I am beyond proud of this team for going undefeated all season, which is only the second time we’ve accomplished that in my 15-year tenure at Cate. The early season was fraught with injury and some illness as well, but the girls banded together to fill the gaps whenever someone went down. The collective strength of this team is unreal!

I’ve also seen so much growth in the level of tennis across both our singles and doubles lineup. There is a clear upward trend across the season in match results, but also in confidence of our abilities as a team. That will have a huge impact on our attempt to hunt down a CIF D3 title in the coming weeks.

What’s next for Cate Girls’ Tennis?

Cate will have a week off from dual-matches, with TVL Individuals taking the stage on Tuesday, October 24th. Cate will host the event, to begin at 2pm, with the finals likely to follow on Thursday, October 26th.

Cate Clinches Tri-Valley League Title with Pair of Big Wins

Cate girls’ tennis has now ensured ownership of the Tri-Valley League title, defeating last year’s champs, Foothill Tech, and CIF D4 #4-seeded Laguna Blanca, each by a score of 14-4.

How it Happened:

Alyna Takahashi, senior team captain #1 for the last three seasons, went 5-0 between the two matches. She clinched her spot as top-seed for the TVL Individuals tournament for the second year by defeating all of her main rivals in convincing fashion. Younger sister Reyna Takahashi also had a big week, going undefeated and dropping just 10 games across the 6 sets she won.

It was also a big week for Pyper Davis, who found her best tennis to go 3-0 in singles against Foothill Tech on Tuesday, before partnering with senior Sophie Alijani to be the only sweep in doubles for Cate today against Laguna Blanca. The sophomore had a slow start to the season, but has been steadily improving and showing her readiness to grab the Davis baton, with sister Frances Davis set to graduate this year. Frances has held down the #1 doubles position for most of the season, and battled through illness to add 3 wins between the two matches this week for Cate.

Lisa Hasebe remained undefeated in singles this season, clinching her place as the #2-seed in the TVL Individuals tournament with a sweep today. The freshman had partnered with Frances Davis in a 2-and-1 showing against Foothill Tech on Tuesday, including a very tight 5-7 loss to the defending league champion doubles team of Lola Tennyson/Julia Geib.

Coach Thorpe’s Comments:

This week, I think the big story is that Alyna Takahashi went from being just a good player to owning her position as the #1 player, both on our team at Cate, and in the Tri-Valley League. She battled through adversity after having been out-of-practice and starting slow against Foothill’s #1 and then shot out the other side with the best play of her high school career against Laguna today. She was serving big, dictating points, and showed her growth in composure and mental fortitude. That’s going to make all the difference for us going into CIF Playoffs and we’re lucky to have such a strong player holding down that lead position, particularly since we have two young guns lining up next to her.

Of course, I’ve got to say something about Pyper Davis. That girl is on a ROLL! What a difference a few weeks and a few adjustments make, and we’ve now got yet another asset that we can deploy in both singles and doubles.

What’s next for Cate Girls’ Tennis?

Cate, now 9-0, will face two non-league opponents (Carpinteria, Royal) in the early part of the week, followed by an away match to end TVL regular-season play against Villanova on Thursday.

Santa Barbara City Championships Open Doubles Win!

It’s been 9 years since my last post about a tournament as a player. Since then, I’ve managed to distinguish myself with quite a lot more gray hair and I’ve also had the pleasure of working with hundreds more players on their own games, while mostly ignoring my own.

To be honest, I thought I was done with open-level tennis. Tournament tennis can be brutal and at 36, I’m now well-past the average competitor age for the open division. However, I’m very proud to report that my awesome doubles partner Alberto Hernandez and I have just won the Santa Barbara City Championships.

I got some great practice matches and hits in with Barbarian Tennis teammates Alberto, Petar Jivkov, my Cate assistant coach Mark Polowczak (also a former student!), and my old college doubles partner Aron Ouye. Further, I have had a lot of encouragement from my Cate girls as I wandered back into the wilderness of tournament tennis in recent months. I also received a number of congratulations from parents of current and former students, who saw the result through local media. My cup runneth over.

The Thorpe Tennis Community continues to enrich my experience in more ways than I could have hoped when I started more than 14 years ago. It has given me so many opportunities to share what I’ve learned about tennis and life, and to feel valued and supported. Thanks to everyone who participated and cheered me on…couldn’t have done it without you!

Trevor

Cate Girls Tennis Rams Through Two More Tri-Valley League Opponents

Cate moves to 7-0 on the season with wins over visiting Villanova Prep and Providence. Having now played everyone in league once, Cate is nearly assured the top spot in the league and continues to be ranked 5th in CIF Division 3 polling.

Cate v. Villanova: 17-1 Win

Cate won handily despite playing without senior captain Alyna Takahashi, who is unbeaten in league so far this season. Lisa Hasebe, also unbeaten, moved into the #1 spot in the lineup and duly produced a 6-0 win against the Villanova senior Monica Munoz before subbing out. Fellow freshman Reyna Takahashi finished the day 3-0 without dropping a single game, while sophomore Pyper Davis had a similar 3-0 sweep in her singles season debut.

In doubles, freshman Sophie Blank partnered with junior JV player Addie Bracher to record a 6-3, 6-1, 6-0 result. The pair were incredibly consistent and worked well together in their first outing together. Frances Davis paired with Sophie Alijani for a 6-0 win at #1 before Alijani was replaced by freshman Claire Tang, making her season debut and going 2-0. Senior Caroline Batchelder partnered with sophomore Claire Bianchi for a 7-5 set-win in the first round, before pairing with sophomore Elsie Chamberlain for 6-2 and 6-0 wins.

Cate v. Providence: 15-3 Win

Caroline Batchelder and Elsie Chamberlain picked up where they left off in the previous match, partnering for 7-5, 6-0, 6-0 set-wins and moving to 8-3 on the season. The pair over-turned a 2-6 loss to Providence #1’s Aza Elwood and Amber Regan from a few weeks prior, showing their progression. Senior Frances Davis continued to thrive with multiple partners, playing with Reyna Takahashi, Sophie Blank, and Ani Van Lynde for three set-wins, dropping just 1 game. Sophie Alijani and Pyper Davis partnered for the second time this season, going 2-0 before Claire Tang replaced Davis in the third set for another win.

In singles play, Lisa Hasebe turned in another 6-0 win at the #1 position before subbing out. Hasebe is now 13-1 on the season (8-0 in league play). Claire Bianchi returned to the singles lineup, where she split sets in a similar fashion to freshman Gwendi Rogers, who played the #3 position. JV call-up Betsy Peters battled gamely to a 5-7 in her first varsity match, while facing the Providence #2 player.

Coach Thorpe’s Comments:

I’m proud of the way the girls executed our gameplan for this week, which was to take every opportunity to improve, regardless of who they were playing. We had some less experienced opponents this week, but I feel that we managed to improve on movement at the net, composure in baseline rallies, and also in serve accuracy. We’ve got our top two rivals for the league title to play next Tuesday and Thursday, so the work we put in this week should be put to good use in the coming week!

Cate Defeats Visiting D1 Opponent Camarillo High

Cate girls’ tennis continues the season’s unbeaten streak, making it 5-0 overall with a resounding 14-4 win over visiting Camarillo High School. The CIF D3 5th-seeded Cate squad was facing it’s second CIF Division 1 opponent of the week, after the win over Foothill Tech on Wednesday.

How it happened

Cate got off to a stellar start, taking the first round-of-play 6-0 and never looked back. Cate also took both the second and third rounds 4-2.

Lisa Hasebe, moves to 14-1 on the season at #2 singles, sweeping her three sets 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. Alyna and Reyna Takahashi added two convincing set-wins each in what was the first match of the season that both sisters featured in the singles lineup.

In doubles, senior duo Frances Davis and Sophie Alijani swept their doubles sets, including a hard-fought 7-5 set-win over the #1 doubles team from Camarillo. Senior Caroline Batchelder partnered for the first time with usual singles player Claire Bianchi for two wins, while sophomore Elsie Chamberlain partnered with freshmen Gwendi Rogers and Sophie Blank to add one set each.

Coach Thorpe’s Comments:

This was a big win, capping off a week of big wins and I’m very proud of my girls for the way they’ve been stepping up throughout the week. We were pretty short-handed against an improved Laguna Blanca team on Tuesday but got through it. Wednesday, we defeated Foothill, a D1 opponent and our main league rival in recent years. Then today, we followed it up with a second D1 victory of the week against Camarillo.

I want to give a lot of credit to our new assistant coach, Mark Polowczak. He’s been such an asset at practice, but it’s also been so valuable having him to split coaching responsibilities during matches. I don’t know that we’d be making the quick progress and overcoming some injuries the way we have without his help this season.

What’s next for Cate Tennis?

Next week, Cate will face Villanova on Tuesday, followed by a second match with Providence on Thursday, both at home.

Cate Adds Pair of Wins, Remains Undefeated

Cate Girls’ Tennis moves to 4-0 overall (3-0 in Tri-Valley League play) with back-to-back wins over league rivals Laguna Blanca and Foothill Tech.

Cate @ Laguna Blanca: 10-8 Win

Cate got nearly flawless performances from its formidable top two singles lines, with sweeps from Alyna Takahashi (6-0, 6-1, 6-2) and Lisa Hasebe (6-1, 6-0, 6-1). Claire Bianchi helped with the singles result by recording a 6-4 set-win over the Laguna #2 player Danica Damiani and battling mightily with 6-7 and 5-7 sets in her other two rounds.

In doubles, freshman Reyna Takahashi made her season debut, partnering with senior Sophie Alijani to win 2-of-3 sets at the #1 position. Caroline Batchelder and Elsie Chamberlain added the lone additional set with a win over Laguna’s #2 team in the first round.

Cate v. Foothill Tech: 13-5 Win

In singles play, Cate continued to get strong performances from its top singles players. Alyna Takahashi and Lisa Hasebe swept while dropping just 3 games total between them in 6 sets-of-play. Claire Bianchi added 2 sets, giving Cate 8-of-9 in singles.

Senior Captain Alyna Takahashi goes airborne for the forehand winner over Foothill Tech #1, Kira Branson

In doubles, Foothill returned their two-time defending league champion doubles team and Cate was unable to break their unbeaten streak. Cate fared better at the other two doubles positions, with Reyna Takahashi/Sophie Alijani and Caroline Batchelder/Elsie Chamberlain both taking two wins. New freshman combo Gwendi Rogers and Sophie Blank added a win and battled to a 4-6 set against the Foothill Tech #2 team.

Coach Thorpe’s Comments:

I was pleased to see how strong Laguna’s team is this year, particularly in singles. It’s always good to have solid opponents in league play, and they gave us a chance for our singles players to show what they can do! Alyna, Lisa, and Claire all got a lot of quality match-play in the week, with more still to come on Friday.

We’ve also started to find some good doubles combinations, although we’ve still not played a match with all players available yet. Caroline and Elsie were a bit of a revelation, playing quite well together despite never having played together before.

What’s next for Cate Girls’ Tennis?

Cate returns to action on Friday at home, facing a formidable D1 opponent in Camarillo High School.