Re-cap of 11/7 Quarterfinal Playoff Match vs. Bell

Congratulations to the Girls Tennis Team for a great effort during Wednesday’s quarterfinal playoff match versus the #2-seeded team, Bell.  Although the 6-1 defeat finally ended this season’s miraculous run, the Lady Pilots were very impressive against a tough Bell team that was the Eastern League Champion.  The Pilots, not only took one match, but they were very close in two others, & overall won a total of 37 games.

Special recognition goes out to #2 Doubles Veronica Trujillo & Adriana Garcia who squeaked out a hard-fought 1^st set (6-4), before dominating the 2^nd set & closing out their match with an impressive 6-1 2^nd set.  #1 Doubles Nancy Melgoza & Cinthya Monroy had a tough assignment, but played tough in the closest match of the day, and the only one to go the distance.  After splitting the first two sets, in near identical tie-breaks, these Lady Pilots seemed poised to close out the match, taking a 4-1 lead in the 3^rd set.  It was not to be, however, as the Lady Eagles fought back to win the match with a 6-4 3^rd set.

#3 Doubles Melissa Hernandez & Jasmin Jimenez came very close to forcing a 3^rd set, while all four singles players played great.  Although the final scores don’t show it, these ladies showed a tremendous amount of grit, frustrating their opponents & forcing many deuce-games throughout their matches.  Their willingness to take on the toughest challenges of the day was inspiring.

Although the loss was disappointing, it brought about an interesting statistic for this year’s seniors.  As freshmen in 2003, the team had only 3 wins and 10 losses.  This latest loss brings this year’s overall record to 10 wins and only 3 losses.  In addition to this year’s back-to-back playoff berth, reaching the quarterfinals in this year’s playoffs is the furthest that the team has advanced in at least the past 10-15 years.  This is an incredible testament to the entire team’s commitment to improvement, but especially to the three seniors who stuck with the team through those first couple of tough years.  Those 3 seniors are: Nancy Melgoza, Cinthya Monroy & Adriana Garcia.  The remarkable accomplishments of the Banning Pilots Girls Tennis Team are due, in large part, to these three young ladies, along with the rest of their current & former teammates.

Incredible Job Pilots! J

Box Score

GIRLS VARSITY TENNIS MATCH

L.A. C.I.F. CITY SECTION, INVITATIONAL PLAYOFFSS, QUARTERFINAL MATCH

FINAL SCORE