The Sunnyvale Sun

Sports

King's Academy featuring four undefeated teams so far this fall

By MIKE BARNHART

While the undefeated football team at The King's Academy had a break in its schedule last week, three of the school's other sports teams were busy maintaining unbeaten league records of their own.

The Knights girls tennis and volleyball teams, as well as the boys soccer squad, all are off to fine starts in Private Schools Athletic League competition.

The tennis team's 3-0 start in league play has pleased head coach Sharon Haugen and assistants Sam Weng and Billye Kay Wells. The 15-member varsity squad, led by captains Brittany Rudolph, Breanna Grove and Anishka George, swept Fremont Christian 7-0 in its most recent outing.

Abby McCallum came out on top of a tiebreaker at No. 1 singles to secure the sweep. George, Grove and Nicole Isaacson also won singles matches for the Knights. The three doubles teams dominated their foes, Haugen said. Bonnie Chih and Samantha Fong combined to win No. 1 doubles, while Marissa Smith and Rose Khouri won at No. 2 and Rachel Morrison and Esther Ting took No. 3.

In the 4-3 PSAL opener against Redwood Christian, George (No. 2), Isaacson (No. 3) and Grove (No. 4) scored singles victories. The third doubles tandem of Rachel Morrison and Tiffany Bayer also posted a win.

Against Valley Christian-Dublin, McCallum and George both played well but lost the top two singles contests. Isaacson was strong at No. 3 and Grove fought hard to win a three-set tilt at No. 4. All three doubles teams, Chih-Fong, Smith-Khouri and Morrison-Tiffany Bayer, were winners, giving TKA a 5-2 decision.

Rain on Oct. 5 postponed King's most recent match.

Girls volleyball

Junior outside hitter Natasha Bell's 14 kills paced the Knights third straight PSAL win without a loss, Oct. 6 against visiting Valley Christian-Dublin. The Knights easily won the first two games, 25-11 and 25-15, stumbled a bit in the third game, 23-25, but clinched the match with a 25-11 triumph in game four.

Three days earlier, Bell put away 16 kills as the Knights won three straight games against Redwood Christian to improve their overall non-tournament record to 11-1.

Katie Milligan, Amanda Westwood and Nicole Decker are the lone seniors on coach Philip Wang's 11-player roster. Setters Julianne Ells and Hanah Hays, Bell and Alexandra Wilson all are juniors. Sophomores Tamara Bell and Leighah Darnell and freshmen Emma Fuller and Annika Awbrey round out the squad.

After road matches at Fremont Christian and Saint Lawrence Academy, King's returns to its home gym on Oct. 17 to meet Pinewood.

Boys soccer

Seniors Joe Boice, Paul Sousa and Brad Morrison all banged in goals, leading TKA to a 3-0 triumph over Sacred Heart Prep.

Sousa and Morrison have been the top goal scorers for the Knights, who started the season with 10 straight wins without a loss. A stout defense in front of sophomore goalkeeper Michael Teruel had put together three consecutive shutouts and six all together, heading into an Oct. 10 game against Redwood Christian.

The Knights, coached by Philip Sousa, travel to Saint Lawrence in Santa Clara for their next test, Oct. 13 at 6 p.m.

Football resumes

Looking to improve its record to 5-0, TKA's football team returns to action Oct. 14, 7 p.m., for a home game under the lights against Saint Elizabeth of Oakland.