GONZALES — With a win over Oakwood and a loss to Watsonville, the Gonzales High School girls tennis team completed the regular season with a 9-3 record to secure second place in the divisional standings behind the division champion Lady Spirits of Notre Dame.
“Overall, we finished with a league record of 9-3,” said Gonzales head coach Rene Mendez. “It was a record-setting season for Gonzales girls tennis with the most wins ever and also with a doubles team that did not lose a league match all year and will be our first top seed ever at tour league championship tournament. Melanie Barrera and Daniela Pacheco capped an undefeated season and will be entering the league tournament that starts on Nov. 4 here in Gonzales.”
On Oct. 22 the Spartans beat Oakwood by a 6-1 score. Winning their singles matches were: Isabel Mendoza, 6-3, 6-2 over Sofian Ruster; Elizabeth Arreola, 6-3, 4-6, 10-5 over Anaya Khan; Magaly Santos, 6-1, 6-0 over Laurena Chen; and Adriana Montiel won by forfeit.
In doubles, Pacheco and Barrera beat Eshika Jain and Jessica Andre, 6-3, 6-3; Frida Valdez and Selena Renteria defeated Niki Balakumar and Marmina Khan, 7-5, 6-3; and Maria Hernandez and Elizabeth Sanchez lost by a 6-7, 3-6 score to Sammie Frazer and Alisa Zhang.
“Good win for Isabel and a very good win for Elizabeth against a good opponent,” said Mendez. “Even though she lost the second set, she was able to compose herself and play a very strong third set tie breaker to take the match.”
Gonzales lost to Watsonville by a 5-2 score two days later, in one of the hottest days of the year.
“Taking nothing away from Watsonville, who played very well, they were able to handle the heat better than us,” said Mendez. “The heat got to our girls and they did not play their best. Elizabeth Arreola is playing her best tennis at the end of the season and is really poised to make a deep run in the league tournament.”
