Boys’ tennis: Mater Dei figures to be strong again next year

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For Mater Dei, the No. 3-seeded team in the Southern Section-Toyota Division I playoffs, making it to semifinals was good enough. Yeah, they’re disappointed about losing to No. 2 Santa Barbara, 11-7, at Los Caballeros Racquet Club on Wednesday. But the Monarchs had never made it this far in the playoffs before.

Their season of firsts began when juniors Chris Alvarado and Charlie Freeman won the school’s first Ojai Invitational title in April when they won the boys’doubles title.

Coach Marian Danse sees a lot of similarities between Alvarado and Freeman’s ascension to the title and the entire team’s rise this season. Alvarado and Freeman advanced to the Ojai quarterfinals their freshman season and made it to the semifinals as sophomores before winning it all this season. Mater Dei reached the section quarterfinals two years ago and the semifinals this season.

‘We’re going to borrow a page from Freeman and Alvarado next season,’ Danse said. ‘We plan to build on this year for next season.’

-- Jaime Cardenas