The Rams kept charging ahead in the CIFSS D2 Playoffs, taking an 11-7 Win over visiting Agoura High School. The win puts Cate not only into the D2 Semifinals, but also amongst the top-12 teams in CIF Southern Section, often considered the strongest section and the 7th largest by size in the country.
How it Happened:
Agoura fielded what was, perhaps, the most formidable lineup Cate School has faced this season, with Jea Rose Oliveros (6.61 UTR) and Lyla Haiat (6.64 UTR) holding down the #1-2 singles positions and Maya Herrault (6.6 doubles UTR) and Riley Vassilev (6.63 doubles UTR) at #1 doubles.
On the other side, Cate counted on the hot hand of junior Jade Wang (5.6 UTR), league champion Elizabeth Jayich (7.3 UTR), and the return of Ivy Huang (6.5 UTR) to the singles lineup.
Wang, who is undefeated in this year’s playoffs (wins over 5.7 and 5.9 UTR opponents), jumped out to a 5-0 lead against Oliveros and managed a change of strategy from her opponent to fire the opening salvo with a 6-3 set-win. Huang was even more convincing, turning in a 6-0 result over the Agoura #3.
In doubles, Lisa Hasebe and Kiki Chang lost their first match of the season, falling behind 0-3 early and then playing even with the 6.6 UTR Agoura #1 team to a 2-6 set. Seniors Edie Abbott and Claire Tang were also unable to collect a win, losing a close 4-6 set to the Agoura #3 team.
Elly Edwards and Chelsea Newlove held their nerve and scored an important 6-0 set-win at line #2 for Cate, and would follow that up with a competitive 3-6 set against Herrault/Vassilev, and a 7-5 win in the third round against a strong Agoura #3 team.
Tied at 3-3 after the first round, Cate huddled for a round 2 pep-talk and came out firing. Wang took a quick 6-2 win at line #3, while Huang defeated Haiat 6-4 at line #2. Jayich was unable to get herself in the win-column, but fought doggedly to a 5-7 set against Oliveros, adding valuable games to the tally in the event of a 9-9 tie.
Cate doubles collected an important 6-3 win from Tang and Abbott against the Agoura #2 team, while Hasebe and Chang took a while to recover from their first loss of the season. The TVL Doubles Champions went down 4-5, and then 5-6, before turning the tide with a 7-3 tie-break win, which propelled the Rams to a 7-5 lead after two rounds.
In the final round, Elizabeth Jayich finally started to show her true calibre, taking just 10 minutes to collect a 6-0 win against the Agoura #3 player. In doubles, Hasebe/Change cruised to a 6-0 win of their own, putting Cate at 9 sets and a healthy lead in games.
Elsewhere, the now scorching hot Jade Wang recorded her 4th upset win and moved to 8-0 in her 2026 CIF Playoffs campaign, dispatching Haiat 6-3 in the final round. With the match now decided, Edwards and Newlove claimed a 7-5 win just moments later, giving Cate 11 sets on the day and a berth in the CIF Semifinals.
Coach Thorpe’s Comments:
Agoura was an excellent challenge for us. I’d actually tried to add them to our schedule mid-season, so it’s great to have had the chance to play them in the CIF Quarterfinals. They pushed us to the limit of our capabilities as a team, which is ultimately what allows us to show our best…and what a high level that turns out to be!
Jade was electric again, performing for a 3rd consecutive match at a level I’ve always felt she was cabable of, but which she had not yet consistently shown. Ivy has also been under the weather, playing in the doubles lineup so far this playoffs, but turned in a vintage performance at just the right moment.
We continue to be able to rely on our strength in depth, which has become a hallmark of this program, and our doubles players showed up again for us with 5 crucial wins today.
As we look ahead to the defending D2 Champions in Calabasas High, we can approach that matchup from a position of strength. Through 17 matches this season, no team has been able to break through our team strength, and we look primed for another great Cate team performance on Wednesday.
What’s Next for Cate Girls’ Tennis?
Cate will play at Calabasas for a chance to return to the CIF Championship match, after having won the title in 2023 (D3) and narrowly missing another shot at the D3 title in 2024 (l. 8-10 Campbell Hall, eventually champion). The match will take place at Calabasas High School at 1:30pm.
