“S-A-S-A-R-A-T-O-T-O-G-A, S-a-r-a-t-o-g-a, Saratoga High!” Arms around each other’s shoulders and huddled together, the 13 members of the girls’ varsity tennis team felt their pulses rise and heartbeats quicken as they stomped and screamed at the top of their lungs.
Following a 7-0 win at home against Los Gatos on Oct. 2, the team prepared for the first annual Battle of the Bay tournament in which Central Coast Section (CCS) teams competed against those of the North Coast Section (NCS). Though the tournament was held at several different schools in the Bay Area, Saratoga played at home along with fellow CCS school St. Francis High. Twenty teams from the Central Coast, Peninsula, Salinas Valley and South Bay were put head to head against 20 teams from the East Bay, Honolulu Bay, North Bay and San Francisco Bay.
The tournament took place Oct. 3-4, and each CCS team played four matches against four randomly selected schools from NCS and vice versa. Whichever side first won the necessary 41 out of 80 games would be declared the winner.
Saratoga cruised through the tournament with four wins against NCS schools Miramonte (5-2), Amador Valley (6-1), Piedmont (6-1), and San Ramon Valley (7-0). Once again, the team’s strong lineup proved impenetrable.
Though lineups varied throughout each of the four matches, there were several key wins and tough matches.
Junior Shaya Nikfar played two exhausting consecutive matches at No. 2 singles against Miramonte and Amador Valley in 95 degree weather.
“I was already tired, but I knew I had to win for team,” Nikfar said. “So I stayed positive and tried to get back even after losing the second set both times.”
Yet, Saratoga’s contribution of 4 points to the overall score did not prove enough for CCS to win the overall tournament. The final score was CCS 38 and NCS 42.
“The team has not lost a single match since the Fresno tournament,” assistant coach Jonathan Chui said. “Even though overall CCS lost, our exceptional individual showing at Battle of the Bay just adds to our confidence for a good chance of winning CCS.”
The first league match on Sept. 16 proved the effectiveness of the team’s elevated depth this season with a stronger singles lineup and powerful doubles teams. A 5-2 win against one of its rivals Los Altos, compared to a difficult 4-3 win and 4-3 loss last year, set the bar high for the rest of the season.
Two easy wins of 7-0 over Gunn and Lynbrook, on Sept. 18 and Sept. 23, respectively, continued to boost the team’s confidence as the big game against long-time rival Monta Vista neared.
Tension was high as the team prepared for the much anticipated matchup. In the end, nerves were cast aside as the team prevailed in a seemingly lopsided 6-1 win over the Matadors.
“It felt really amazing to win against our biggest rival in the league,” said captain senior Smita Sabada. “ It bodes well for CCS.”
The team played a home match against Monta Vista on Oct. 16, which the Falcon was unable to cover due to publishing deadlines.
