Walking onto the court this season, the girls’ tennis team had lost six valuable seniors who were all doubles starters. Despite this challenge, Coach Whit Kenerson and the team immediately rebounded by planning strategic plays and finding the right chemistry for the new doubles teams.
Not only has the team rebounded, but they have continually come out victorious and are proud holders of a 9-2 record. Kenerson describes the team’s match against their rivals Northwood High School as a game where each player truly excelled.
“All the singles players won two of three sets and the three doubles teams each won a set,” Kenerson said.
Last year, Northwood beat Sage Hill in the finals of CIF, making this victory extremely well-deserved and a true showcase of the team’s resilience and continuous improvement. The team also faced Cypress High School and worked hard on and off the court to secure a 10-8 victory.
“Ella Wong, sophomore singles star, held on to win her third round match 7-5 which clinched the victory,” Kenerson said.
In that same match, senior Ava Cohen and doubles specialist Ceyda Shamsai had a key win in doubles.
“It was a very close match, and Ava Cohen and I just focused on getting each point,” Shamsai said.
Senior and team captain Arden Stobart is constantly raising the bar on and off the court.
Kenerson describes her as “a wall for the team for years and the best singles player probably ever at Sage.”
“Arden is humble, driven, and extremely passionate about the team’s well-being and success,” junior doubles player Madeleine Carroll said.
Throughout the season, the players have constantly been refining their skills, strategizing and becoming a close-knit team. The team’s talent and work ethic will continue to aid them in their future endeavors, which involve two tournaments being hosted at Sage Hill.
These tournaments, the Lightning Invitational and Lightning Classic, draw exceptional players from all across California and will be the team’s next challenge on their exciting journey to the CIF championship.
