The Rams recorded a resounding 15-3 victory over visiting Xavier Prep in today’s CIF D2 playoff match. Cate moves to 16-1 and will return to the CIF Quarterfinals while Xavier Prep falls to 14-3 to end their season.
How it Happened
It was all Cate all day, with the Rams opening a 5-1 lead in the opening round. Ivy Huang, Jade Wang, and Reyna Takahashi swept singles play with a trio of 6-0 wins, while Lisa Hasebe/Colette Chang and Elly Edwards/Chelsea Newlove added 6-1, 6-3 doubles set-wins, respectively.
Singles dropped just 1 game in a second-round sweep, before a hockey-style line-change brought Edie Abbott, Gwendi Rogers, and Claire Bianchi in for the third round. Abbott and Rogers opened their playoff accounts with a pair of 6-4 wins, while Bianchi was unable to overcome Xavier Prep’s top player on the day.
In doubles, Hasebe and Change finished the day undefeated, dropping just 5 games across their three sets. Edwards and Newlove went 2-1 and new pairing Claire Tang and Elsie Chamberlain won their final two sets to also go 2-1 on the day.
Coach Thorpe’s Comments:
After a tight one on the road against Arcadia on Wednesday, it was great to be back on familiar ground for this match. I anticipated we’d have the personnel advantage in this one, but it was still great to see the way the girls performed today. It’s clear many of our players are peaking at just the right moment of the season, so I’m cautiously optimistic we’re headed towards another deep playoff run and chance at the title.
What’s Next for Cate Girls’ Tennis?
Cate plays next on Monday at 2pm against the winner of #2-seeded Sunny Hills and Temecula Valley. Should the #2 seed advance, we’ll play at home in Carpinteria, but if Temecula prevails, it’s back to the road for another long one!
Thorpe Tennis 