Senior Alyna Takahashi led the line for the lady Rams with a dominant 6-2 performance over UTR 5-rated Ellie Triplett. Freshman Lisa Hasebe made her debut at #2 singles with a gutsy 6-3 victory, while Elsie Chamberlain ’26 added a 6-2 win at #3 singles.
In doubles, the Chargers struck back with a 6-0 win at #3 doubles and a narrow 6-4 win at #2. However, the senior/sophomore combination of Frances Davis and Claire Bianchi came through with a 6-4 set win at the top doubles position. The Cate #1 doubles team finished 3-0 on the day, with a second senior/sophomore combo Sophie Alijani/Pyper Davis adding a set to the doubles tally.
In singles, Takahashi finished the day 3-0, while Hasebe added a second-set win to finish 2-1 on the day.
Coach Thorpe’s Comments:
I was extremely impressed with the way we responded to an early-season challenge. Despite minimal time to prepare and putting some doubles combos together without a single practice set, we managed to bring a high level against a strong opponent.
Alyna was firing on all cylinders and Lisa stepped up to the challenge of getting thrown into the singles lineup right away. We also got some clutch play from our senior/sophomore combos in doubles, which was so great to see without the chance yet to establish longer-term partnerships.
I see it as the first step forward in what we’re hoping will be a long and fruitful season in CIF Division 3.
What’s Next for Cate Girls’ Tennis?
Cate will return from outings last week to open Tri-Valley League play against Providence High School at the Municipal Courts of Santa Barbara.