Shaking off a disappointing result in the Golden State tournament at Stanford that took place three weeks earlier, the members of girls’ tennis team regained their winning ways at the second annual Battle of the Bay tournament on Oct. 2-3.
Forty of the best high school teams in California entered the tournament and were grouped into two opposing groups. On the Central Coast Section (CCS) side, teams came from the South Bay, Salinas Valley and Peninsula. On the Northern Coast Section (NCS), teams were from the North Bay, East Bay and San Joaquin Valley.
At the end of the tournament, the total number of wins claimed by every team on each side were totaled up, and the Central Coast Section teams had the most total wins over Northern Coast Section. Saratoga, along with the other CCS schools, took home towels with “Champions” spelled across the top in bright letters.
Saratoga, Monta Vista and Los Altos were just a few of several hosting sites for this large tournament. Every team donned its school colors and proudly chanted its cheers on the morning of the first day of the tournament.
Saratoga’s first opponent was Piedmont High School from Oakland. The Falcons had faced this team during one of last season’s tournaments and beaten them easily. With a strong lineup of doubles players and determined singles players, the Falcons clutched another seemingly effortless win over the Highlanders, 5-2. All three doubles pairs won in less than an hour.
The Falcon’s second opponent of the day was Redwood High School. The Giants, from Larkspur in Marin County, presented a stronger lineup than Piedmont did, but the Falcons did not allow that to disrupt their confidence. Once again, the Falcons walked onto the courts with poise and focus. Junior No. 2 singles player Caitlin Ju lost a close first set 7-5, but fought to come back and win 6-1 in the second set and steal the win 10-8 in a split-set tiebreaker. All doubles pairs won in two sets.
“[Senior Allison Lin] and I maintained a high level of energy from the very first point to the final game-winning shot,” said senior No. 2 doubles player Meera Rachamallu. “Not only did we encourage each other through every point, but we also constantly cheered on our teammates on the neighboring courts.”
The girls left the courts undefeated at 6 p.m. Exactly 12 hours later, they woke up for day two of the tournament. Arriving at their designated site in Los Altos, the singles girls chewed on bagels and sipped orange juice while the doubles players warmed up their serves.
The third opponent for the Falcons in this tournament was San Ramon High School. This team had a losing record from the very start of the tournament, and the Falcons took care of business quickly and won once again. Rachamallu and Lin won 6-0, 6-0 within an hour at the No. 2 doubles position. Danielle Berkowitz-Sklar and her twin sister Daviana also won 6-2, 6-0. No. 3 doubles pair sophomore Elizabeth Lee and junior Emma Kovac grasped a 6-3, 6-0 win. This match was Kovac’s first varsity game.
Moving on to the final face-off of this tournament, the Falcons came face-to-face with an old enemy, Buchanan High School from Fresno. Two years ago, the Falcons and the Buccaneers played a tight match in the semi-finals of the Peach Tree Tournament in Fresno. The Falcons had a lead, but the Buccaneers managed to steal a hard-fought win against Saratoga. The veteran players on the Falcon team two years ago were eager for retribution.
Every doubles pair from Buchanan was strong and well-trained. Rachamallu recalled feeling surprised at how hard they were able to hit each shot and serve. Nevertheless, all three doubles pairs fought for every point and grabbed three wins. The singles players also battled their opponents with every bit of strength left in their bodies. Ju won 6-3, 6-2, and junior No. 4 singles player Kelly Hsu won 6-4, 6-0.
“I am really happy with the consistency and skill that my players showed in this tournament,” head coach Florin Marica said. “Coaches from all over California was congratulating me on how strong, sportsmanlike and determined the Saratoga players are.”
The girls look to face the remaining schools in the league before heading to CCS. The main schools on the Falcons’ radar are Monta Vista on Oct. 15, Los Gatos on Oct. 22 and Homestead on Oct. 27. These teams have the strongest lineups out of the De Anza league schools. As long as the Falcons keep winning — their league record stood at 7-1 as of Oct. 9 —, they will claim the league championship title for the fourth year in a row.
