Parker Solomon
Staff Writer
Despite the Mira Costa girls tennis team’s impressive serves and strong returns, the team fell short to Harvard-Westlake, bringing a conclusion to its season.
The Mustangs played Harvard-Westlake at Valley College on Monday in the California Interscholastic Federation playoffs, losing 10-8 in the quarterfinals.
“We put in a valiant effort,” junior doubles player Jackie Soliman said. “However, we could have played stronger.”
In the first game of the day, doubles partners junior Lena Nagy and freshman Lindsay Giese faltered, as they were shut out in the first two games. They made an effort to fight back and had some successful returns, serves and ground strokes. The duo’s ultimate 6-0 loss brought the score to 1-0, putting Harvard-Westlake in the lead.
“My serves helped keep us in the game, but my volleys were lacking,” Nagy said.
In the eighth game of the day, freshman Taylor Johnson was able to earn herself a point in a crucial volley. Despite her efforts, Johnson lost, 6-4, tying the overall score at four all.
“Taylor’s experiencing the pressures of a high school tennis team; these pressures are different than lower level tennis, but it is a good experience,” Costa tennis coach Joe Ciasulli said.
During Costa’s eleventh game of the day, junior doubles players Maddie Giese and Soliman’s energy and communication on the court helped them dominate their competition. In the last game, Solimon brought the score to 6-2 when she poached the ball, ending the set.
“We were happy with the outcome of our game,” Giese said. “I think we played very well.”
The Mustangs ended there season 21-5 overall and 7-2 in Bay League.
“The team has had a great season, but we came up short of our goal, which was to make it past the quarterfinals,” Ciasulli said. “Overall, it was a good experience for the team.”
Leave a Reply