By Dick Sparrer
The Westmont girls' volleyball team found the perfect way to finish nonleague play in preparation for the season to come--with a victory.
The Warriors will open play in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League this week, but they finished the preseason last week with a convincing 15-6, 15-6, 5-15, 15-8 victory over rival Saratoga.
Lindsay Hahn, Tara Minaee and Rachael Esperanza starred for the Warriors in the win.
Hahn led the Warriors with nine kills, four digs and three service aces, and Minaee supported with six kills and seven aces. Esperanza came through with a team-high 17 assists and added eight digs and three aces.
The win left the Warriors 6-6 for the year as they look ahead to league play.
Westmont was to open the Santa Teresa Division season on the road against Independence on Sept. 24, and the Warriors will visit Santa Teresa Sept. 26.
The Falcons slipped to 3-6 for the year with the loss.
Field hockey
Jennifer Pidwell knocked in a couple of goals to lead Saratoga's girl field hockey team to a rousing 3-0 victory over Westmont in a nonleague game.
The Falcons jumped to 3-1-1 for the year, Westmont slipped to 0-3.
Prospect won a pair of games last week to improve to 3-1 in the young season. The Panthers shut out Westmont 2-0 and blanked Leigh 3-0.
Lynbrook powered to a 3-0 start in the 1996 season, adding wins over Gilroy and Monta Vista last week. The Vikings beat the Mustangs 5-1 and blanked the Matadors 2-0.
Girls' water polo
Suzannah Johnson poured in 12 goals in two games to lead the Lynbrook girls' water polo team to back-to-back wins to open the season in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
Johnson tossed in five goals to lead the Vikings to a 12-7 win over Mountain View. The junior came back with seven goals in a 10-4 victory over St. Francis.
Joanna Chung pitched in four goals in the win over Mountain View, and Nicole Morasky, Shaw Pong Liu and Claire Holt added one each.
Chung popped two goals, and Samara Silverman added one against St. Francis.
The Vikes are now 2-0 in league play and 5-2 for the year.
Five goals by Jessica Ramos and four more by Cari Cowdry weren't enough for a Saratoga win against Mountain View. The Falcons held a slim 7-6 lead at the half, but lost a 12-11 heartbreaker after getting outscored 3-2 in the third and 3-2 in the fourth.
Shannon Moore and Danielle Tolan also scored goals for the Falcons in the loss.
Girls' Tennis
The Saratoga girls' tennis team dominated in doubles play to win a pair of matches last week.
The Falcons won all three doubles battles in a 6-1 De Anza Division win over Los Gatos, and they won all three doubles matches in a tight 4-3 victory over Robert Louis Stevenson in nonleague play.
Camille Benhke posted a 6-1, 7-6 (7-1) win at No. 1 singles to start the Falcons on the road to the win over the Wildcats. Robin Katzman won at No. 2 singles and Malea Doore won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 3 singles.
The duo of Lindsay Lightbody and Carolyn Hooper nailed a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 1 to lead a Saratoga sweep in doubles play.
Hooper won at No. 4 singles, and Lightbody teamed with Kelly Pisani for a 6-1, 6-2 victory at No. 1 doubles in the win over Stevenson.
The Falcons, who also lost 7-0 to St. Francis in league play, are now 5-1 for the year and 1-1 in the division.
Westmont lost three 6-1 decisions in the Santa Teresa Division of the BVAL, falling to Pioneer, Del Mar and Silver Creek. Stephanie Wadler was a 7-6, 5-7, 6-3 winner at No. 4 singles in the match against the Dons, and Carly Dadson won 6-2, 6-4 at No. 1 singles against the Raiders. Dadson posted a 6-4, 6-0 win at No. 1 against the Mustangs.
Prospect split in Santa Teresa Division play, falling 4-3 to Oak Grove before beating Santa Teresa 6-1. The Panthers are 2-2 in the division and 3-2 for the year.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, September 25, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved