All-Area Girls’ Tennis Singles Player of the Year: La Cañada could depend on McKenzie
There was a lot expected of Sophie McKenzie during the 2017 girls’ tennis season.
As the No. 1 singles player for La Cañada High, McKenzie was looked upon to set the tone for the team and that often meant winning all three of her sets.
Fortunately for La Cañada, the junior almost always came through.
“When she’s on the court, Sophie knows what her job is and she just goes out there and does it,” La Cañada coach Will Moravec said. “She doesn’t goof around and take an opponent lightly and she tries to win convincingly.
“What happens sometimes is when she beats an opponent to start off a match, that person might get a little down because of the loss and that opens the door for some of our other players. She can set things up for our other players. We try to use her dominance to our advantage.”
McKenzie said she sees the success expected of her as a positive.
“There definitely is some pressure in that, but it’s not a bad kind of pressure at all,” she said. “I guess that I’m usually expected to get a solid three wins for our team and help lead us to a win. I know its a role for me and something that I have to do.
“It all is really a kind of good pressure that helps motivate me, knowing that my team needs this and I can give it to them.”
A three-year standout for the Spartans, McKenzie handled that pressure admirably and turned in another season of success during her junior campaign. McKenzie captured the Rio Hondo League singles title, advanced to the round of 32 in the CIF Southern Section Individual Tournament and helped her team qualify for the playoffs and notch a postseason victory.
It’s because of those accomplishments that McKenzie has been voted the 2017 All-Area Girls’ Tennis Singles Player of the Year by the sports writers of the Glendale News-Press, Burbank Leader and La Cañada Valley Sun.
“When she’s on the court, Sophie knows what her job is and she just goes out there and does it.”
— La Cañada girls’ tennis coach Will Moravec said.
It was the second straight singles player of the year honor for McKenzie, who was also a member of the 2015 doubles team of the year with sister Cassie.
Enjoying success on the court for the Spartans is nothing new for Sophie McKenzie, whose other sister, Ally, and brother JP have also competed for La Cañada. Her junior season marked the third straight time she qualified for the CIF Southern Section Individual Tournament.
“You know, Ally and Cassie made it to CIF individuals two times each and JP has never made it,” Moravec said. “So I guess Sophie has family bragging rights.
“Next year as a senior she has a chance to make it for the fourth time. I don’t think there has ever been a La Cañada player who made it four times. … That would be a huge accomplishment.”
At the individual tournament at Whittier Narrows Tennis Center in South El Monte in late November, McKenzie fell in the round of 32 to Jordyn McBride of West Ranch, 6-2, 6-2.
After receiving a first-round bye for the first round, McKenzie went on to register a 6-0, 6-0 second-round victory against Victoria Kuang of Hacienda Heights Wilson before a 6-2, 6-3 third-round win versus Zoe Coggins of Edison.
“That is definitely a goal for myself to get deep in the CIF tournament,” McKenzie said. “I did get further this year than I did last year, so I was happy with that.”
In early November, McKenzie rolled to a Rio Hondo League singles championship, dispatching San Marino’s Libby Chang, 6-1, 6-1, to capture the title at Arcadia Tennis Center.
McKenzie ended the season with a 32-4 overall record and was 16-1 in league play.
In the Division II team playoffs, the Spartans defeated Ayala, 10-8, before losing in the second round to Great Oak, 12-6.
Emerging as a team leader this season for the Spartans, the hard work and dedication that McKenzie puts into her game is not lost on her teammates. And being the team’s premier player, Spartans players will tell you McKenzie is far from a prima donna.
“She is just the perfect example of a team player,” said junior Solenn Matsuka, a member of La Cañada’s No. 1 doubles player. “She is just so dedicated to the sport and she is always there for us and she always has the best attitude.
“We know we have to rely on her a lot, but she just excepts that and she does all she can to help make us successful.”
With sister Cassie, Sophie reached the CIF semifinals in doubles in 2015 and advanced to the third round in singles in 2016.
With an eye on raising the bar for her senior season, McKenzie will look to continue her success, as well as help the Spartans thrive.
“It really motivates me when I look back and remember that with Cassie we were able to get so far and make it to the semifinals,” she said. “That was just so awesome and that’s such a big stage. It was a really, really cool experience and I want to do that for myself.
“But being successful as a team is important as well. And I will be a captain next year and I want to do all that I can to help us win.
“Being a part of this team is just so important to me.”
Twitter: @jefftsports
