After winning its first Central Coast Section (CCS) Girls Tennis Championship Nov. 16, the Los Altos Eagles added more hardware to the school’s trophy case by prevailing in the CIF NorCal Regional Girls Tennis Championship Dec. 4 at Broadstone Sports Club in Folsom. The NorCal tournament was scheduled for Nov. 22 and 23 but was postponed due to rain and Thanksgiving. Relishing the opportunity to continue its historic season into December, the Eagles played outstanding tennis to defeat three opponents and bring home the title. Thirteen Eagles – Bella Mariona, Cory Medeiros, Emily Wu, Pallavi Mallampati, Carissa Lai, Tyra Bogan, Ayana Modi, Madison Herby, Lucy Lai, Emerson Redden, Ava Randall, Sophia Stavrakos and Ava Cheng – played an important role in securing the championship.
The contestants in the NorCal tournament are the winners of each of the region’s six sections plus the runners up from the three most competitive sections. Based on winning CCS, the toughest section, strength of schedule and player rankings, the Eagles were awarded the #1 seed. Menlo, the runner up to Los Altos in CCS, earned the No. 2 seed, setting the stage for a potential rematch of the section final. Both teams held up their end of the bargain. On Dec. 3, the Eagles defeated George Washington High School from San Francisco 7-0 in the quarterfinals and Redwood High School from Larkspur 4-3 in the semifinals. Menlo defeated Davis High School 7-0 in the quarterfinals and Dublin High School 7-0 in the semifinals.
On a beautiful Dec. 4 morning in Folsom, the atmosphere was electric and tension-filled as the two talented teams and mutually respected rivals went at it. Los Altos struck first as Mallampati, ranked No. 20 in Northern California girls 16 years and under, won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 4 singles. Menlo struck back with a 6-3, 6-0 win at No. 1 doubles. Los Altos’ Medeiros, ranked No. 1 in Northern California girls 16 years and under, displayed exceptional grit by playing through a sore back and defeating a very skilled opponent 6-3, 6-2 at No. 2 singles. The Eagles’ Wu, ranked No. 21 in Northern California girls 16 years and under, extended the team’s lead to 3-1 with her dominant 6-1, 6-3 victory at No. 3 singles. Menlo fought back with critical wins at No. 3 doubles and No. 1 singles to knot the score at three matches all.
High school team tennis is at its most dramatic when the score is tied 3-3 with just one match left on court to decide the outcome, and having that happen to decide the NorCal championship between two longtime top programs added to the suspense. The Eagles’ No. 2 doubles team of Carissa Lai and Ava Randall fought back from 5-2 down in the first set to prevail 15-13 in an uber-competitive 7-point tiebreaker in which both teams had set points. With all the other matches finished, the players and coaches from both teams lined the adjacent court and the parents positioned themselves outside the fence to cheer on the courageous No. 2 doubles teams. Lai and Randall fell behind 5-3 in the second set and it appeared the match would go to a championship-deciding third set. Lai and Randall had other plans. They fought back to go up 6-5 only to lose the next game, meaning another 7-point tiebreaker to decide the set. The Eagles played clutch tennis to take a 6-2 lead. The Menlo duo showed guts in saving three championship points to tighten the score to 6-5. The fourth championship point was epic, with Menlo somehow scooping back some powerful overhead smashes from Lai and tricky deep shots from Randall before the Eagles finally forced them to hit a ball just beyond the baseline. Lai and Randall’s win made the overall match score 4-3 and set off a celebration for the team that was a mix of joy and stress relief.
Commenting on the instant classic, sophomore Medeiros said, “Tennis can be a lonely sport so it’s very fun to be able to play it in a team environment. My teammates and I knew we had to be locked in today and I am very pleased with how we performed on such a big stage.”
Los Altos coach Hung Nguyen added, “I could not be more proud of this team. They gave it everything they had up and down the lineup and supported each other with great spirit. Menlo has an outstanding tennis program and is a perennial power. It makes it even more satisfying to defeat such a quality opponent for the NorCal championship.”
Summing it all up, junior Lai remarked, “Our team has so much heart and will. Ava and I ended up as the final match on court, and we refused to lose just as our teammates would have done. What an incredible season!”
The journey continues for one final match as the Eagles visit Fresno to take on Palos Verdes High School, the CIF SoCal regional champion, Dec. 9 at 11 a.m. (after the Town Crier print deadline) for the California State Championship.
