So far this season, the Girls’ Varsity Tennis team has dominated nearly every match they have played. Earlier in August, the Islanders secured a tight win against San Dieguito Academy—last year’s CIF Division I Runner-Up—10-8. A week later, they hosted Del Norte High School and dominated all across the board. Both lineups held strong, giving up only three sets, to win 15-3. The following Wednesday (9/5), Coronado traveled to Canyon Crest Academy—last year’s CIF Open Division Runner-Up—for the toughest match of the season up to now. Coronado’s singles had lost all nine sets, while the doubles teams won all nine. The tiebreaker was decided in the number of games won by both teams, which went to Canyon Crest, 65-76.
On Tuesday (9/11), Coronado hosted Bishop’s for what proved to be a slow match for the Islanders. After the first round of sets, Bishop’s led 2-4, and by the end of the second round, they led 4-8. “The next line of sets, Coronado swept the first three, but then Elsa Östermarker lost 12-10 in a tiebreak set,” says Coach Rob Moore, “and we lost two sets where we led 4-1 and 4-2. What was an 11-7 loss should have been a potential 10-8 win.”
Thursday’s match (9/13) against Cathedral Catholic High School was a very easy win for the Islanders. Line 1 Singles, Summer Vu, won two of her three matches, while Line 2 Singles, Elsa Östermarker, swept all three with 6-1 wins. Lily Vu (Line 3) won her first set 6-0 and dropped her other two. “The double side swept the Cathedral girls, with impressive play by Olivia Strong/Sinaia Haskal, as well as Alejandra Gonzalez/Marla Steel,” comments Coach Moore. The final score tallied up to 15 sets to 3.
The following Tuesday (9/18), the Islanders hosted the La Jolla Vikings—another 15-3 sweep. The singles trio (Summer Vu, Östermarker, and Lily Vu) allowed the Vikings to get only three games in their collective nine sets. “In my time as a coach at Coronado, that has never happened,” says Coach Moore. In the doubles lineup, Strong/Haskal and Gonzalez/Steel won four of six of their sets, two of which went to La Jolla’s Line 1 Doubles team. However, Ellie Johnson/Samantha Russell did not let up easily being down 1-4 and then 2-5. “Russell/Johnson kept up the pressure by attacking the net and eventually just dominated play in the last five games pulling off a stunner upset, 7-5,” says Coach Moore. “No doubt about, it was the match of the season thus far.”
On Thursday (9/20), Point Loma hosted Coronado at the Peninsula Racquet Club and continued to dominate. The singles players dropped only one set, and while the doubles took all nine. “It was nice to see Tiana French back in the line-up coming off the ‘Injured Reserve’ list where she paired with partner Jolee Barr winning two doubles sets 6-0 and 6-3,” says Moore. Point Loma had been on the defensive all match, proving another easy win for the Islanders, 17-1.
This past week, the girls’ varsity team took on Scripps Ranch High School. The singles trio won eight of their nine sets, while the doubles only dropped three sets, to win 14-4. The following Thursday, the Islanders hosted OLP for their final match of the week. Although Coronado dominated 15-3, many of the singles players and doubles teams had to grind to win their sets. Lily Vu (Line 3 Singles), after being down 4-5 against OLP’s Line 2, fought for three more games to win her 7-5. Strong/Haskal, too, were down 4-5 in their set and had given OLP’s Line 1 Doubles team two match points; however, they were able to save those match points and took the set 7-5, as well.
Upcoming Matches:
- Tuesday, October 2 vs. Cathedral Catholic High School @ 3:30 PM (Home)
- Thursday, October 4 vs. La Jolla High School @ 3:30 PM (Away)
