Photograph by Douglas Rider
Saratoga's Connie Chang races to the net for a return in the Central Coast Section doubles tournament. Chang and Serena Lin teamed for a second-place finish in the CCS doubles event.
Saratoga's Chang, Lin 2nd at CCS
Doubles team wins three straight before losing in tennis finals
By Dick Sparrer
The wins didn't exactly come easy for Liora Gelblum of Monta Vista and the Saratoga doubles team of Connie Chang and Serena Lin at the Central Coast Section tennis championships.
But, then, they weren't easily defeated, either.
Gelblum lost a tough three-set decision to top-seeded Lean Sherbakov of Los Altos in the singles semifinals, but battled back for a three-set win over No. 2 seed Amy Walgenbach of Santa Catalina to clinch third place in the singles tournament.
And the Chang-Lin twosome posted back-to-back three-set victories to reach the title match, but lost a tough 7-5, 7-5 nod to top-seeded Jenny Renfer and Amanda Nicks of Santa Catalina in the doubles finals.
It was an impressive finish for the players from the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, who capped sensational 2000 seasons to ranks among the best in the CCS.
Gelblum breezed through her first two singles matches, beating Michelle Phalen of Monte Vista Christian 6-1, 6-2 and Mio Fukushima of Robert Louis Stevenson 6-3, 6-2 in the quarterfinals. Fukushima was the No. 5 seed in the tournament.
But Gelblum, seeded No. 3 in the tourney, lost a three-set heartbreaker to Sherbakov in the semi's. Gelblum dropped the first set 6-0, but battled back for a 7-5 win to even the match at a set apiece. Sherbakov managed a 6-2 win in the third and deciding set, though, and went on to beat No. 4 seed Lejla Hodzic of Pinewood 6-4, 6-4 in the finals.
Gelblum wasn't finished, though. The Monta Vista star lived up to her ranking as the No. 3 seed by pulling out a 6-1, 6-7, 6-1 win over Walgenbach in the third-place match.
Photograph by Douglas Rider
Westmont's Anna Vugdalic slaps a return in the first round of the CCS doubles touchdown. Vugdalic teamed with Megan Clapp, but the two lost 6-3, 6-1 in the first round match.
In other singles action, Homestead's Rachel Pua lost a first-round match to Walgenbach to face elimination from the tournament. Pua, Homestead's No. 1 singles star in each of the past two seasons, dropped a 6-1, 6-2 decision to Walgenbach. Pua played No. 1 singles this past summer for the Silicon Valley team that placed second to Courtside in the girls 18 Northern California tournament.
Chang and Lin starred in doubles play, bringing home a CCS second place to Saratoga.
The twosome opened with a solid 6-2, 6-3 win over Elizabeth Sanchez and Elisabeth Ewing of Presentation, but then things started to get tough.
The Falcons, seeded No. 4 in the tournament, went three sets to beat No. 6 seed Ginny Brito and Jennifer Gephart of Monterey 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, and went three sets to edge No. 2 seed Andrea Carloni and Myra Davoudi of Leland 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.
The two exciting wins pushed Chang and Lin into the finals against Santa Catalina's Renfer and Nicks. The Falcons played the top-seeded tough, but ended up losing a close 7-5, 7-5 nod to wind up second.
Renfer and Nicks had opened the tournament with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Liz Nelson and Angie Lin of Lynbrook.
The Westmont pair of Megan Clapp and Anna Vugdalic were also eliminated in the first round, falling 6-3, 6-1 to Leland's Carloni and Davoudi.
Lynbrook's Miranda Wang takes a swing while Sarah Yu backs her up in the CCS field hockey semifinals against Mitty. The Vikings lost to the Monarchs 2-0.
Photograph by Kathy De La Torre
Field hockey
Lynbrook made the final four before losing a tough 2-0 nod to eventual champion Mitty at the CCS field hockey tournament.
The Vikings pounded Los Altos 3-0 and No. 4 seed North Salinas 3-0 to reach the CCS semifinals. They were eliminated, though, with the loss to the Monarchs.
Top scorer Julie Stevens wrapped up an outstanding senior season for the Vikes, and played her final high school game against Mitty along with senior teammates Rana Fettahlioglu, Doni Macoy, Desirae Johnson, Stacey Benzing, Jessie Chien, Danielle Bitney, Sarah Yu and Meredith Lee.
Sophomores Clare Johnson, Junny Kuo and Candice Ho, and juniors Deborah Han, Jennifer Simas, Jessica Bell, Shirley Lee, Tiffany Ngo, Miranda Wang, Laura Lin, Jessica Tabarez and Julianne Cadden will all return for Lynbrook next season.
Saratoga also made it to the CCS tournament, but lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to Los Gatos in the first round. The Wildcats went on to play Mitty for the championship, losing 1-0 in the finals.
Seniors Keala Meyer, Courtney Miyamoto, Jen Hahn, Tammy Ku, Jessica Stanley, Liana Huie, Candace Goodman, Kelly Lapinski, Lynn Chouw and Jenee Fawson were all playing their last game for the Falcons.
Juniors Julie Barmeier, Alice Sheng, Emma Hoore, Aubrey Weger, Rachel O'Gara, Rosie MacKenzie, Jana Brady, Gabby Laux, Ashley Fraser and Megan Lavelle and freshman Allison Dunn were other members of the team that represented Saratoga at CCS.
Water polo
Phillip Yen topped a list of five Vikings picked to the all-league team after Lynbrook won the boys water polo title this fall in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
Yen, a junior goalkeeper, won named the best goalie in the division. Joining him on the all-league list were seniors Shubert Ho and Kevin Ip, junior Gabe Tseng and sophomore Cole Robinson.
Junior Louis Lee was picked to the all-league honorable mention list for Lynbrook.
Lynbrook also won the El Camino title in the frosh-soph division, and sophomores Vasanth Sridharan and Joseph Kwan won top honors in the league.
Sridharan was named the league's most valuable player and Kwan won picked the most valuable goalkeeper.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
