By Craig Wentz

Town Crier Correspondent

Prep Girls Tennis Report

uong Duong has felt the highs and lows the past two seasons leading both the boys and girls tennis programs at Los Altos High.

While the boys have been one of the best programs in the entire Central Coast Section, the girls have been another story.

In the span of two years, the boys placed runner-up to Menlo School in the last two CCS championship matches, while the girls failed to win a single league match.

Without a league victory in two years, the girls moved down from the SCVAL De Anza Division to the El Camino Division. The move has proved beneficial.

Two weeks ago, Los Altos (3-1, 2-2) snapped a 36-match league losing streak by beating Santa Clara and could challenge Homestead for the league crown.

“Our matches have been more competitive this year and we’re right there with the other teams in our league,” said Duong, in his seventh season at Los Altos. “Our seniors don’t know about winning and we have to change our mentality.”

Despite its lengthy losing streak in 1999 and 2000, Los Altos had the section’s top singles player in Lena Sherbakov, who won the CCS individual singles crown a year ago and is now playing at William & Mary College.

Although Duong misses the play of Sherbakov, he believes the Eagles have more balance in both singles and doubles play with the mix of veterans and talented freshmen.

“We’ve had three freshmen come in and help us out,” Duong said. “We hadn’t had much to look forward to the last couple of years and if we keep improving, we could win league.”

The Eagles singles lineup includes four-year veteran Bonnie Chen at No. 1, with junior Blair Dematteis at No. 2. The No. 3 and 4 positions are held by freshmen Christina Strong and Wei-Wei Liu.

Duong is moving people around to find the right combinations in doubles, using players such as seniors Andriana Ameri, Carleigh Price, Valerie Sun, Kristen Edgren, Jennifer Chin, junior Emily Keenan, sophomore Emily Reid and freshman Alicia Incerpi.

Duong said that Homestead is the favorite to win the league crown. Los Altos lost to the Mustangs earlier in the season, but will get Homestead at Los Altos on Oct. 25, a match that could decide the El Camino Division.

“If we keep improving, we could win league,” Duong said. “We look for a winning season.”

Spartans stop Cupertino

Mountain View defeated host Cupertino 5-2 last Thursday to improve to 2-2 in the SCVAL El Camino Division.

The Spartans’ top two singles players, Anhthu Vu and Katie Dowling, won in straight sets.

Mountain View plays at Wilcox at 3 p.m., Thursday.