Los Altos, St. Francis, Pinewood eliminated

By Pete Borello, Town Crier Staff Writer

Joe Hu/Town Crier Bobbie Engler, St. Francis High’s No. 1 singles player, chases down a shot in last week’s playoff match against Leland.

Los Altos High coach Cuong Duong couldn’t help but be encouraged by his team’s early effort in the second round of the Central Coast Section girls tennis playoffs Nov. 8.

The Eagles won the first set at No. 4 singles and at all three doubles spots against Stevenson.

“I thought we were going to win,” Duong said. “Overall, I thought we were in a good position to win it.”

That position quickly went from good to bad for unseeded Los Altos. No. 8 Stevenson rallied for a 5-2 win in Pebble Beach.

“I don’t know,” Duong said in trying to explain the turnaround. “Maybe it was the nerves, the other team started playing better or the weather. The wind was gushing more - maybe we struggled with the conditions.”

The Eagles’ top three singles players - Ting Ting Liu, Jaimie Eng and Lisa Kellman - lost in straight-set matches that lasted less than an hour. With no margin for error remaining, Los Altos (11-10) had to win the rest of the matches to prolong its season. It proved too big of a task against the host Pirates (16-4).

Both of the Eagles’ wins came in straight sets: No. 4 singles player Rebecca Kaufman prevailed 6-4, 7-5; the No. 3 doubles team of Beth Kay and Samantha Tse triumphed 6-0, 6-2.

Los Altos’ top doubles team - Tessa Villasenor and Jennifer Yang - fell 6-4, 5-7, 6-7 (13-11). The No. 2 duo of Neha Shah and Nicole Dudley lost 6-4, 4-6, 2-6.

A day earlier in the opening round, host Los Altos topped Monterey 6-1. The Eagles won at every position but No. 1 singles.

“That was a fairly easy, quick match,” Duong said of beating the Monterey Bay League champion.

Looking back at the season, the coach conceded the Eagles performed better than expected.

“I’m proud of the girls,” he said of a team that went 8-2 in the second half of the season to earn a playoff bid. “They did great.”

For No. 7 St. Francis, the season ended in Friday’s quarterfinals with a 5-2 loss at No. 2 Menlo. Granted a bye in the opening round, the Lancers (19-7) edged Leland 4-3 in the second round Nov. 8 at Cuesta Park.

Pinewood bowed out in the first round, falling 5-2 to Notre Dame-Salinas Nov. 7 at Gunn. The Panthers finish at 13-7.