Capping off a season of hard work and exciting matches, the PGHS girls’ tennis comes to a close with the PCAL tournament and their senior night. Having been promoted to a higher division at the end of their previous flawless year, they fought hard throughout the season to prove they belonged, and came out with some impressive results. The team went 6-6 overall, beating Salinas, Hollister, and Monterey twice each, and losing to Carmel, Stevenson, and Santa Catalina. The team was led by coaches Clancy D’Angelo and Andy Miller with aid from long-time assistant coaches Rick and John. Going into the start of the season, captain Yeva Yevdash said she was focused on motivating the team and improving in spite of losing nine talented seniors from the previous year. With such a young team, every player had to rise to the occasion, making for some exciting performances by the Breakers
While each match required a lot from the players, their senior night against Hollister was a special occasion. Honoring Yeva Yevdash and Sophia Spivey, the team took the court with speeches and posters, and while the festivities were eventful, so was the match. All singles players, Yeva Yevdash, Sienna Archer, Ayana Yanez, and Scarlett Whitman, came out on top, guaranteeing the win for the Breakers quickly. Despite the 4-0 safety net, doubles teams Sophia Spivey and Melissa Wang along with Dylan Llantero and Grace Liu fought hard to bring the final score of the match to 6-1, a dominant display by the Breakers. The impressive victory was a great sendoff for our two seniors and proved how skilled the team is throughout the lineup.
The Hollister match was the last league match for the team, but 5 players from the Breakers qualified for the individual PCAL tournament. Taking place on Monday, November 3, Yevdash represented the Breakers in singles, winning a close first match, but losing in her second. Archer and Yanez joined forces to compete in doubles, also quickly winning their first round and falling in the second. Llantero and Liu competed in their first tournament and put up a strong fight, bringing their match to a tiebreaker, but sadly losing.
Looking to the future of the team, Yevdash believes they will improve even more, with the large junior class aging up and barely any seniors leaving. Staying in the same division, they hope to collect even more wins against powerful teams in the coming years. From the way this season went, it’s safe to say that the Breakers will stay a strong, motivated team.
