On the bright afternoon of Nov. 1, 10 girls wearing red racerbacks and white skirts rushed toward center court to celebrate an incredible feat. After playing an exhausting three-hour match, the varsity tennis team smashed long-time rival Monta Vista, winning the De Anza league title at a final showdown at Cupertino High School.
Originally predicted to have an not-so-great season, the girls have defied all odds and pulled off one of the greatest seasons in Saratoga history.
After losing nine veteran players, six of whom graduated last June, the young team struggled to maintain confidence. The team consists mainly of underclassmen. They doubted whether they could qualify for CCS.
“Over the season we started trusting and supporting each other more which help made our team much stronger than any other,” sophomore doubles player Meera Rachamallu said.
After a sequence of surprising victories against tough teams, including Palo Alto and Los Altos, the team gained a new level of certainty and determination, quickly coming together as an unified force.
“The most memorable part in being a part of this team was the bond that we all developed through supporting and motivating each other to do better,” sophomore doubles player Shireen Haghshenas said.
Sophomore singles player Shaya Nikfar agreed, the team “became like family.”
Playing in one of the toughest leagues in Northern California, the Falcons never let their guard down and always played with tenacity and a positive attitude.
“I enjoyed the suspense each match brought mainly because it kept us on our toes and pushed us to work harder than before,” Haghshenas said.
Both the Falcons and Monta Vista Matadors were tied with a 10-2 season record before the final match.
The desire to win was evident in their final matches against the Matadors. Freshman No. 3 singles player Caitlin Ju took Saratoga’s first win in two straight sets, 6-4, 6-1. Sophomore Allison Lin and freshman Kelly Hsu finished shortly after Ju, winning 6-4, 6-4. Sophomores Yu Karen and Ai Marie Asai also won in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3.
Nikfar, who played No. 2 singles, clinched the final win needed for Saratoga’s victory, defeating her opponent in a exhausting split set, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Doubles partners Haghshenas and Rachamallu fought hard as they managed to defeat the Matador’s No. 2 doubles pair in a tense tie breaker, resulting in a final score of 7-5, 6-7, 8-6.
Freshman no. 4 singles player Neeka Nikfar and senior no. 1 singles player Usha Raman also played exceptionally.
After all seven matches were finished, Saratoga emerged victorious, 5-2.
“The championship victory proved to both me and the team that the hard work we went through paid off in the end,” Haghshenas said. “Our continual efforts to build our strength showed their effects in this glorious victory.”
The team continued to shine at their CCS games, which started on Nov. 12. Head coach Florin Marica and assistant coach Jonathan Chiu are impressed with the team’s accomplishments.
“You girls are a true team, and I haven’t seen one of those in a long time,” Marica said to the team before the match with Monta Vista. “You support each other, try hard because you want it for the team, and I couldn’t be more proud.”
