The Willow Glen Resident

Rams fight for league lead

WG tennis team is alone in second and gunning for first

By Dick Sparrer

Willow Glen is all alone, and looking for a little company.

The Rams are all by themselves in second place in the girls' tennis race in the West Valley Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League. But with a win this week, they'll be lonely no longer.

Willow Glen will host Valley Christian is a key division match on Oct. 6, 3:15 p.m. The Warriors are 8-0 and in first place in the West Valley standings. Willow Glen is second at 7-1.

"We'll be in a first-place tie if Willow Glen wins," said veteran Willow Glen tennis coach Don DuShane, whose Rams lost 6-1 to Valley Christian earlier in the year.

Willow Glen held onto second in the division with a tight 4-3 win over Lincoln last week. Tina Catania posted a 6-1, 6-3 win at No. 2 singles, then the Rams swept all three doubles matches to claim the team win over the Lions.

Tran Nguyen and Neda Dowlatshahi teamed for a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 1 doubles, Cindy Ngo and Kelly Giambruno won 6-2, 6-0 at No. 2, and Hong Le and Aubrey Schatz won 6-1, 6-2 at No. 3.

The Rams came back later in the week to blank San Jose Academy 7-0 to push their division record to 7-1.

Cherl Mah started the Rams off with a 6-0, 6-2 win at No. 1 singles, then Catania pulled out a tight 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) win at No. 2.

Chen Huynh pulled out a 6-1, 6-0 victory at No. 3 singles, and Reyna Hernandez-Cervantes won 6-1, 6-1 at No. 4.

Just as they had earlier in the week, the Rams swept in doubles play. The Nguyen-Dowlatshahi team won 6-4, 6-4, Giambruno-Ngo won 6-0, 6-1 and Schatz-Le won 6-0, 6-0.

The Willow Glen success is encouraging to DuShane, considering the fact that the Rams are so young this fall. "This is a great experience for the juniors," he said. "We have 10 juniors on the team."

In fact, eight of the 10 Willow Glen players are juniors. The only two who aren't--Giambruno and Schatz--are just freshmen.

Panthers edge Mitty

Pamela Chung and Melissa Lam each won in the top two singles spots to lead the Presentation girls tennis team to a tight 4-3 win over Mitty in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the BVAL last week.

Chung posted a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 1 singles, and Lam won 6-3, 6-3 at No. 2 singles.

Lisa Sanchez supported with a tight 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2) win at No. 3 singles, and Luisa Duran and Nicole Shaheen teamed for a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 victory at No. 2 doubles.

The win left the Panthers 6-1 in division play and 6-3 for the year. They had lost 5-2 to Saratoga in a nonleague match earlier in the week, despite wins by Chung (6-2, 6-4) and Lam (6-1, 6-1) in the top two singles spots.

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