Tag: Cate Tennis

Cate Takes Down Santa Ynez 8-1

Cate Girls’ Tennis defeated the Santa Ynez Pirates to remain unbeaten on the season. The non-league match was played using the CIF Central Section format, similar to that of NCAA tennis, featuring 3 doubles teams contesting an 8-game pro-set, before a round of 6 singles players hit the courts for a 2-of-3 set match. In the end, despite a strong challenge from the Pirates, particularly in doubles, Cate rolled to an 8-1 win.

How it Happened

The match began with very even doubles play from both teams, with Cate holding a slight edge at #2 and #3 doubles and Santa Ynez leading in the early-going at #1.

Sophomore Reyna Takahashi and freshman Ivy Huang came to the edge of defeat, going down 3-7, before mounting a massive comeback. The pair managed to rattle off 6 straight games for a 9-7 win at the #1 spot.

Junior/freshman combo Claire Bianchi and Elly Edwards held a one-game lead through 5-5, before winning the final 3 games to close out their match at #3 doubles.

Despite carrying a lead into the middle of the pro-set, senior/freshman combo Colette Chang and Jade Wang were unable to complete the sweep, dropping the final 3 games at the #2 spot, finishing at 7-9.

In singles, Cate came out roaring with Ivy Huang at #1, Jade Wang at #3, and Claire Bianchi at #4, who all took quick first-set wins. Huang and Bianchi continued to cruise in the second set, while Wang faced a tough challenge from her opponent, but ultimate prevailed 6-4 in the second set.

Reyna Takahashi faced an early challenge from Santa Ynez #2 Haley Townes (UTR 4.1), who held a 4-3 lead. However, Takahashi hung tough and play some strong tennis to close out the first set 6-4 and never looked back, closing out the second set 6-1.

At 5 and 6 singles, sophomore Claire Tang and junior Elsie Chamberlain entered the match with fresh legs and determination. Both players took 3-2 leads, at which point Chamberlain rattled off 9 straight games to close out the win at #6. For Tang, many 50+ ball rallies were needed to squeak out the 7-5 first set, but the effort paid off, as she then had a much easier path to a 6-0 win in the second set at the #5 spot.

What’s Next for Cate Tennis?

Cate enters league play next week, with matches against Thacher (Tuesday, home) and Foothill Tech (Thursday, away). The team will then set its sights on the 3rd Annual Santa Barbara Invitational Tournament crown, with matches scheduled for Friday and Saturday (September 20-21).

Cate Opens Title Defense with Nail-Biter Win!

There was no shortage of suspense on Cate Mesa today, as the defending CIF D3 Champs got the season underway against D2 Quarterfinalist, Dos Pueblos High School. The match finished locked in a 9-9 tie, with games tied 73-73, triggering a round of tie-breakers to decide the winner.

How it Happened

The first round proved the two teams to be evenly matched, with DP taking 2-of-3 singles sets, while Cate School countered with 2-of-3 in doubles play.

Jade Wang opened her Cate career with a 6-0 victory at #3 singles, while sophomore Lisa Hasebe and freshman Ivy Huang were unable to overcome the deadly DP duo of junior Melisandre Mayo (UTR 6.7) and senior Ellie Triplett (UTR 5.7).

Hasebe would rally to take her next two sets, including a 6-0 win over Triplett, while Huang added a 6-0 win and battled for 3 important games against Mayo.

In doubles, lone Cate senior Colette Chang partnered with sophomore Reyna Takahashi for a clean sweep at doubles line 1 (6-3, 6-2, 6-3). Junior Pyper Davis partnered with freshman Elly Edwards for two wins on the day (1-6, 7-5, 6-3).

Upon completing the 18-set match, and after a flurry of counting and re-counting, it was determined that the two teams would return to the courts to play out a round-robin set of 18 tie-breakers to decide the match.

Dos Pueblos struck first, with upset wins at #3 singles and #1 doubles, but steady play from juniors Claire Bianchi and Elsie Chamberlain returned the favor, keeping Cate in the hunt. However, DP surged to a 9-5 lead with a pair of singles and doubles breakers remaining.

Cate got a boost from Huang against the #3 singles player, while Chang/Takahashi and Davis/Edwards battled through tight matchups to 8-6 and 11-9 wins (respectively).

With the tally standing at 8-9 and Cate up by a single point in the event of a tie, the match hung in the balance of the Mayo v. Wang matchup. In her first match at Cate, Jade Wang regained her focus after losing her first two tie-breakers to defeat the defending Channel League singles champion 7-4. The upset win sealed the match, with Cate taking victory on a 9-9 tie that ended 106-102 after the points count-back.

Coach Thorpe’s Comments:

This is my 31st season as a high school tennis coach, between boys and girls and I’ve never seen this before. The probability of a tie in sets, games, and tie-breakers is infinitesimal. It was a total playoff atmosphere even though we’ve only been in school for 4 days and this was our first match of the season.

I’m so impressed by the way both teams competed today, and would have been happy to have had the quality match-play even if we’d lost. To win, and with our freshmen starters Jade, Ivy, and Elly all playing a crucial role at the end, well, that’s something special.

We won this match as a team, with every single player in the lineup contributing key wins at key moments. To do so this early in the season suggests last year’s CIF Championship win wasn’t a one-off and I’m sure this win will serve us well as we work towards another deep November run.

What’s Next for Cate Tennis?

The Cate girls will now head out into the various wilderness areas of California for outings week, before returning to face Santa Ynez High School in another non-league match on Thursday, September 12th (away).

Cate Girls’ Tennis Wins First CIF D3 Championship

Cate girls’ tennis has completed a perfect 17-0 run through their 2023 campaign, taking the CIF D3 title match over Culver City, 11-7.

The match, played in the playoff atmosphere of The Claremont Club, was a Cate-led event from start to finish.

How it Happened:

The match opened with a dominant performance from senior-captain Alyna Takahashi, who took a 6-1 win over the Culver City #1. Similarly impressive, senior-freshman combo Frances Davis and Lisa Hasebe recorded a 6-0 set-win at #2 doubles in under 15 minutes.

Cate also got wins from Claire Bianchi at #2 singles and Sophie Alijani/Elsie Davis at #3 doubles, with #1 doubles team Colette Chang/Reyna Takahashi recovering from 1-3 down to win a 1:15 set, 7-5.

After the first round, the score stood at 5-1, with the lone win for Culver City coming from their #3 player, who would finish 3-0 on the day.

Cate continued to pour on the pressure with a flurry of quick wins in the second round, going up 8-2 at one point. There was a sense of certainty in the air as the Rams closed in on the championship win.

The match began to even out in the transition between the second and third round, with Culver City not yet ready to yield. Sophomore Pyper Davis took her much higher-ranked #1 opponent to a tiebreaker, but Culver squeaked by to stay in the match just a bit longer.

Cate was not to be denied, though, with Chang and Takahashi clinching the match on the strength of a 6-0 win in the third round, giving Cate a 10th win and reason to celebrate early.

The final match on court featured Sophie Alijani and sub-in Caroline Batchelder, both seniors who started their careers at Cate together battling to make the last varsity spots as freshmen three years earlier.

Batchelder’s entrance into the match was particularly meaningful, having just endured emergency appendix surgery two weeks earlier. Batchelder had started in almost every regular season match, but had not yet been able to participate in Cate’s historic playoff run.

In a moment of karmic justice, it was Batchelder who struck the final shot of the match, attacking the net with a backhand poach that sailed crisply through the seam between the Culver City #2 team’s players for a clean winner.

The team stormed the court to celebrate the win and the title of top team in CIF D3. The perfect season was complete!

Coach Thorpe’s Comments:

What an incredible run this has been with such a special group of girls. We were challenged again and again this post-season, but every time we had the answer, including today.

I was particularly impressed by the way we came out firing in this finals match. This is my first championship team, so I guess it’s a new experience for me at this level, but as a coach you just know when your team is ready for the task at hand. Today, I felt that way right away and I think that really allowed us to enjoy the moment.

It’s hard to believe that after 17 matches and 17 wins, this season is finally over, but I know we’re all going to remember this for a long time to come. This is such a satisfying end to the season and I couldn’t be more proud of my girls.

Cate Girls’ Tennis Advance to first CIF Finals since 1999 with Come-from-behind Win

The perfect season continues for Cate girls’ tennis, thanks to some late-game heroics in the face of defeat. With a 6-8 deficit to Cerritos High School in the final round-of-play, Cate rallied to sweep the last 4 sets on-court for the 10-8 win.

Cate, now 16-0 overall on the season, overcame a Cerritos 1-2 combination that featured two players who have been nationally ranked in the top-100 for their classes on multiple occasions.

How it Happened:

The match remained tight through the first two rounds, with Cerritos dominating at #1 and #2 singles as well as #1 doubles, while Cate was equally impressive at the #2 and #3 doubles positions.

Cate kept hope alive also thanks to wins from Alyna Takahashi and Pyper Davis (6-2, 6-3 respectively) over the Cerritos #3. The match was locked at 6-6 after two rounds, setting up a nail-biter finale between the #2 and #3 seeds in CIF Division 3.

In the third round, Cerritos struck first, earning a pair of 6-0 wins from their singles standouts. The winning margins stacked the 9-9 tie game-count scenario in Cerritos’ favor, meaning the only way for Cate to win would be a clean sweep of the remaining sets.

Cate doubles set about the task, resolute and upbeat. Senior/sophomore combo Sophie Alijani and Elsie Chamberlain struck first with a convincing 6-1 win. Junior/Freshman combo Colette Chang and Reyna Takahashi followed quickly with a 6-2 set over the Cerritos #3’s.

Senior/freshman duo Frances Davis and Lisa Hasebe came out of the gates hot, battling aggressively against the Cerritos #1’s, who had only dropped two games total in the previous two rounds.

It was a different story against Davis and Hasebe, who controlled the set from the net, pummeling overheads and mixing in touch volleys.

With their opponents playing “two-back,” a familiar pattern repeated over and over. Davis worked the net while Hasebe patrolled the baseline, pulling her opponents off the court with her powerful lefty forehands and setting up the Davis smash.

Both Cate girls also served aggressively, creating lots of pop-ups and free points off the serve. At 3-2, Davis managed the pressure of a break point, coming back to take the game and create separation between the two teams. Cate then broke serve and followed up with a hold to clinch the 7th doubles set-win for Cate on the day, as well as the 9-8 lead overall.

Over on the remaining singles court, sophomore Claire Bianchi was in a battle of attrition with the Cerritos #3 player. Bianchi had started slowly, going down 1-3 and facing a 40-0 deficit in the fifth game, but her will did not falter.

Bianchi settled in for the long haul, accepting that she’d need to make 15-20 shots per point to force the error from her opponent. Five points later, Bianchi had turned that game around and put the match back on serve.

The Cate sophomore extended the streak to 7 consecutive points, completely changing the momentum of the match. By 4-3, her doubles teammates had all gathered to cheer her on, adding to the intensity of the deciding match and further tilting the advantage to Cate. Bianchi emerged victorious by a 6-3 final score, lifting Cate to the 10-8 win by sheer force of will.

Coach Thorpe’s Comments:

This is such an incredibly hard-fought result. Cerritos was a very strong team. They’ve got two college-level singles players, an absolute wall #3 singles player, a very solid #1 and competent doubles farther down the line. That’s usually a winning combination, but 16 times this season we’ve had the answer to whatever our opponents throw at us.

I can’t overstate how hard Alyna, Pyper, and Claire worked in singles to give us the chance to squeak through with our doubles strength. They were so composed and ready for those long points.

Equally, our doubles girls had to really be focused throughout the match. Their was no room for error, with our team essentially starting down 0-6 in singles.

Lisa and Frances have only played together 3 times this season, but it’s clear they’re a dynamic pairing. We knew going in we’d have to get at least one win over the Cerritos #1 doubles team, and when Reyna and Colette went down 0-6 in the first round, it was clear that was going to be a big ask.

Lisa and Frances came through with the best doubles performance of the season to accomplish that for us today. They executed what we call “Cate Doubles” with a complete absence of fear, despite the high stakes.

The bottom line is that every Cate player put it all on the line today, from the first point to the last, to get that collective victory and a shot at our first CIF Championship. I couldn’t be more proud of the effort and the result is a bonus.

What’s Next for Cate Girls’ Tennis?

Cate will play in the CIF Finals for the fourth time in program history (runner-up 1996, 1998, 1999) and first in Division 3. The match will be held at The Claremont Club in Claremont, California at 11am on Friday, November 10th.

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 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!