Cate Girls’ Tennis (15-2) sees their season come to an end today, dropping an 8-10 decision against visiting Whitney High School (17-3) in the CIF D3 Round of 16.
How it Happened:
Cate came agonizingly close to executed on a pre-match plan to collect a win via strength in doubles. Normal #1 singles player paired with CIF Individuals partner Lisa Hasebe to sweep the line 1 position (6-1, 6-0, 6-0). In the first round, Cate also received a convincing win from senior/sophomore combo Reyna Takahashi and Elly Edwards. New pairing Elsie Chamberlain and Edie Abbott held a 4-1 lead at the #3 position, before being overcome by a late surge from Whitney (4-6).
Meanwhile, over in singles, the goal for Cate was to take 3 wins against the Whitney #3 player and sophomore Jade Wang opened the account with a 6-0 victory.
In round 2, senior captain Claire Bianchi turned back the clock to her days as a singles player in 2023 to record a quick 6-1 victory and keep the team strategy on track.
Takahashi and Edwards then came within 2 games of defeating the Whitney #1 team, before falling victim to another late surge by the visiting squad (4-6). Chamberlain paired with new partner Gwendi Rogers against the #2 players from Whitney, falling behind 0-5 in a hurry, only to recover to 5-5 in a thrilling see-saw match. The Whitney seniors managed to hold their nerve and close out the set 7-5, leaving Cate a tough task in the final round of play.
Round 3 began with Cate trailing 5-7, but the game-count still very close if a 9-9 set-tie could be attained. With the Whitney #1 and #2 players D1 college-bound, it fell to junior Claire Tang to pick up a win against the #3 to keep the team in the hunt.
Tang dutifully turned in a 6-2 victory, winning the last 5 games played and securing a good margin of victory should the 9-9 tie scenario play out.
With Huang and Hasebe adding a 6-1 victory, that left the match in the hands of the finally two doubles matches on court. Chamberlain and Rogers played well, but struggled to gain traction against the Whitney #1 team, falling behind 1-2, then 1-4, and finally 1-6. With Whitney having just clinched the match with a 10th win, Takahashi and Edwards closed out a 6-2 win to make 8 sets for the Rams.
Coach Thorpe’s Comments:
It’s hard to do so much winning all season and then find yourself on the other end of things. In each tournament, there’s just one winner and a lot of solid players left without a trophy to hoist, but that’s only part of the equation.
This season I watched my girls grow as young people as well as tennis players. We got to experience the highs of victory and now learn to deal with the disappoint of defeat. Tennis is a beautiful game and opportunity to tackle some of these quintessential elements of being human, and we did it all together.
Did we lose? Yes, maybe in some way that hurts now but will fade in due time. We also gained a lot: 15 wins, a season-high #46 in Southern California ranking, best team in Santa Barbara County, and a 4th consecutive Tri-Valley League title. Most of all, every Cate player knows without doubt that they have teammates (and coaches!) for life.
What’s Next for Cate Girls’ Tennis?
This brings a close to the Cate tennis careers of Reyna Takahashi, Claire Bianchi, and Elsie Chamberlain. They take with them a 2023 CIF Championship and a 49-4 overall record across the last 3 seasons.
Cate will return 9 of 12 varsity players next season and looks poised to continue a tradition of excellence in the coming years.
Thorpe Tennis 