Re-Cap of 12-3-08 1^st Round Matches –L.A. C.I.F. City Section – Individual Doubles Championships

Congratulations to the Lady Pilots Tennis Team for a great effort in Wednesday’s L.A. C.I.F. City Section Individual Doubles Championships at Balboa Tennis Center in Encino, CA. Despite facing some of the very toughest teams in the entire city, these Lady Pilots played incredibly well & shined during some incredible play that showcased the heart & determination that has come to reflect the character of the team.

The Pilots’ 3^rd-ranked doubles entry, Norma Santamaria & Kathy Ngo faced off against the #1 duo from Chatsworth, who won the team championship in the invitational tournament.  Santamaria & Ngo forced most games into multiple deuces & drew even in the second set at 3-3 before finally succumbing to the Chancellors.  Though the Pilots were obviously disappointed with the final score, their effort on the court was far from disappointing.

Cristina Alvarado & Diana Alvarado, the team’s 2^nd-ranked duo, played in the closest match of the day, however, vs. the #1 team from Eagle Rock.  Trailing early in the 1^st set, the Alvarado twins rallied to a 6-5 lead, before dropping the 12^th game which forced a tie-break.  In that tie-break, they also trailed 3-0, but went on to build a 6-5 lead there, before falling 8-6 in the tie-break.  In the 2^nd set, they trailed again, 2-4, before these Pilots rallied to tie the set at 5-5, but simply ran out of gas & time in a heartbreaking 5-7 loss.  Despite the loss, however, their play was truly inspiring.

On an even more positive note, the team’s top doubles tandem, Veronica Trujillo & Jasmin Jimenez, played a re-match from the team semi-finals vs. Venice’s #1 squad.  Although the Gondoliers certainly were hoping to avenge their straight-set loss & fought valiantly, these two Pilots proved to simply be too much in the end.  After prevailing in a close 1^st set, the Pilots would win 7 of the last 8 games to close out the match in dominant fashion.

The ground-breaking story of the day, however, came from an unexpected source.  Playing at the #2 doubles position throughout most of the season, the team’s 4^th-ranked duo, Sandra Medina & Victoria Martinez, certainly played well enough throughout the Marine League season to merit selection to the championships.  Yet due to league limits & vigorous debate at the end-of-season league meeting, Medina & Martinez were not even entered among the league’s top 8 duos.  However, after a series of fortunate turns, they ended up making the tournament draw.  Facing off against the #1 doubles from North Hollywood, these Pilots stepped on the court determined to prove that their participation in the tournament wasn’t a fluke.  Dominating from beginning to end, these two Pilots ended their 4-match losing streak with a bang, dominating the Huskies in straight sets.

Awesome job Pilots & good luck on Friday in the 2nd round!