Photograph by Douglas Rider
Net Loss: Presentation's Elisabeth Ewing races to the net for a return in the first round of the CCS doubles finals. Ewing teamed with Elizabeth Sanchez in the tournament, but the pair lost in the first round to the Saratoga pair that ended up second overall.
Panthers fall in NorCal semi's
Presentation pair falls at CCS tennis finals
By Dick Sparrer
History seemed to favor Presentation. After all, the Panthers had beaten the Los Gatos girls volleyball team two out three in the semifinals of the Milpitas Spikefest earlier in the season.
And they had beaten the Wildcats in the 1998 Central Coast Section Division III finals.
But when the two met again this fall in a couple of pretty key matches, the Gatos girls weren't interested in a history lesson--they were out to win.
And win they did. The Wildcats beat the Panthers in three out four games not once, but twice, and now they find themselves playing for the Northern California Division III championship.
Los Gatos turned back the two-time defending CCS champion Panthers 15-13, 15-11, 6-15, 15-13 to win the section title, then beat the Panthers again last Saturday night 15-11, 14-16, 15-9, 15-9 in the NorCal semifinals.
A NorCal championship berth will provide the momentum for the Wildcats this week. Up to now, it was all a matter of sweet revenge.
Presentation had proven to be Gatos' Achilles heel in recent years. The Panthers beat the Cats in the CCS Division III finals in 1998, then moved up to Division I to win another section crown last year.
Gatos had already lost once to Presentation this fall, losing 2-15, 15-12, 15-10 to the Panthers in the semifinals of the Milpitas Spikefest at Independence in September.
Los Gatos got its revenge in the CCS finals with a four-game 15-13, 15-11, 6-15, 15-13 victory.
Despite the loss, the Panthers advanced to the Northern California tournament as the No. 5 seed.
They punched their record to 32-8 for the year with a 15-3, 15-13, 15-3 win over St. Francis of Sacramento in the first round. Senior outside hitter Amie Pfeiffer pounded down 13 kills to lead the Panthers to the important win.
That set up a classic rematch between the Wildcats and Panthers, a rematch that was played last Saturday night before a full house in the Los Gatos gym.
The Cats won the first game 15-11, but the Panthers fought back for a tight 16-14 victory in the second game to even the match at a game apiece.
Los Gatos took the edge with a 15-9 victory in the third game, then clinched the match with another 15-9 win in game four.
Lynzy Caton, Presentation's sensational 6-foot-2 senior middle blocker, teamed with Pfeiffer and senior outside hitter Julie Harris to keep the Panthers close, but they couldn't hold off the Wildcats.
It was the final match for seniors Caton, Harris, Pfeiffer, Kathryn Booth, Stephanie Martin and Lindsey Sanford. Returning for the Panthers next season will be juniors Sarah Nadler, Taylor Rayfield, Adriana LeBarron and Shannon Engle; sophomores Dawn Stanley, Katie Turley-Molony and Paris Raissinia; and freshmen Christa Conom and Therese Vinal.
CCC tennis finals
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.
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.
Field hockey
The Del Mar girls field hockey team made it to the CCS tournament, but lost in the first round to eventual champion Mitty.
The Dons earned their place in the tournament by winning the title in the West Valley Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.
Del Mar was led this season by freshman sensation Lindsey Menkemeller and junior standout Morgan McGill. The two forwards were top scorers all season for the Dons.
Seniors Whitney Condie, Tina Leung, Mandy Fine, Sally Dia, Kristin Oswald and Missy Schaaphok all played their final game for the Dons at the CCS tournament.
Menkemeller and McGill will lead a talented crew of returners for the Dons next year that will also include juniors Hilary Mercante, Breanne Condie, Meghan Gordon, Michelle Martin, Deryn Fuller and Andrea McClendon, sophomores Lisa Warthan and Brittany Erwin and freshmen Jamie Pereyda, Veronica Sykes and Lauren Holm.
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
