All-Area Girls’ Tennis Doubles Team of the Year: Falcons duo flew high in sensational season

It can often become a juggling act in tennis when trying to find the right mix of talent and athleticism in doubles, with lineups and combinations often changing throughout the season.

In the case of the Crescenta Valley High girls’ tennis team, the Falcons never came close to breaking up their doubles team of juniors Michelle Jung and Rachel Shin during the last two seasons. Jung and Shin handled their roles well, particularly this past season.

“One of the things I liked about Michelle and Rachel was the improvement they made [in 2015],” said Crescenta Valley Coach Sam Hyun, whose team finished 12-7, 6-4 in league. “They both made improvements with their overall games and they became more aggressive when they needed to.

“I felt like they could do the same thing this year and they had a lot of experience. They learned how to play at a higher level. They knew how to go to the net and get the points. I just felt like keeping them together for another year would help make the team better.”

Crescenta Valley enjoyed a breakthrough season. The Falcons finished third in the Pacific League behind Arcadia and Burbank and earned a wild-card berth in the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs that saw them knock off top-seeded Alhambra in the first round. The Falcons advanced to the quarterfinals and just missed on a return to the semifinals for the first time since 2003.

Jung and Shin got a lot accomplished throughout the campaign. The duo went 42-11, 27-5 in league and reached the second round of the league tournament. Jung and Shin turned in their best work in four playoff matches, however, winning all 12 of their sets.

It is because of those accomplishments that Jung and Shin were selected as the 2016 All-Area Doubles Tennis Team of the Year, as voted by the sportswriters of the La Cañada Valley Sun, Burbank Leader and Glendale News-Press.

Crescenta Valley posted playoff victories against Louisville (13-5), Alhambra (10-8) and Warren (16-2) before falling to Orcutt Academy (9-9, 75-69 in games). Jung and Shin lost just 17 games in the playoffs.

“They just seemed to work so well, especially in the playoffs,” Hyun said. “I think a lot of that had to do with them being so close, on and off the court. They support each other well and that’s something you need at doubles. They had that great run. They won a tiebreaker against Orcutt Academy that kept the team alive.”

Jung and Shin never wavered from their goal of helping the Falcons succeed.

“It’s just about trying to be at your best all of the time,” Jung said. “I think we were good last year, but we both knew we could make improvements with our games and we were able to.

“Rachel and I came into this season looking to win every single match or at least come close. It helped that we were still going to be paired together. I think we did a real good job of supporting each other and trying to make each other better.”

Jung and Shin gained more confidence with each victory.

“Sam thought Michelle and I being together would be one of the best things for the team,” Shin said. “Michelle and I didn’t need part of a season to get used to playing with one another and Sam could see that we were in position to do well.

“If we got in a tight set, we knew how to work things out. There’s that respect factor. Mistakes are going to happen here and there, but we are very respectful of each other. It’s always good to be able to trust your partner.”

One of the highlights for the duo came at Alhambra in the first round of the playoffs in which the Falcons won all nine doubles sets. Jung and Shin won, 6-3, 6-2, 6-0.

The victory against Alhambra catapulted Crescenta Valley.

“We had played the day before against Louisville and Michelle and I thought we had a chance at beating Alhambra,” Shin said. “We had a lot of experienced players and we figured it would come down to which team had the best lineups in doubles.

“We were able to beat Alhambra and it was such a great feeling. That carried over through the rest of the playoffs.”

Jung agreed.

“We had some momentum,” Jung said. “It was a close match against Alhambra, but we all had a lot of fun competing.”

Crescenta Valley will return most of its players next season, putting it in position to possibly contend for the league championship and earn a return trip to the postseason.

Knowing they will be paired up againwould suit Jung and Shin just fine.