Villa Park Loses to Palm Desert for the Second Year in a Row

Katey Becker blamed herself for Villa Park’s 10-8 loss to Palm Desert in the Southern Section Division III girls’ tennis semifinals Thursday, but she shouldn’t have. The Spartans’ second consecutive playoff loss to Palm Desert was a collective effort.

Becker played tentatively and lost her first dual match set of the year to Laurie Cheung, 6-4, but she didn’t get much help from her teammates. The doubles teams of Tiffany and Jasmine Cheung and Claire Gries and Ann-Katrin Kleinhenz had set points in first and second rounds but failed to close out their matches. Gries and Kleinhenz led Jennifer Baker and Sarah Espinola 5-2 before dropping the last five games.

“I’ve never seen us choke like this,” Villa Park Coach Sue Gardiner said. “We didn’t deserve to win this match.”

Had Becker or either of the two doubles teams won their sets, Villa Park would be in Monday’s finals because the Spartans were leading in games and would have won a 9-9 tie.

Becker consoled teammates afterward.

“No matter what happens, they want me to get three points every time,” said Becker, who won her other two sets, 6-0, 6-0. “I think I put too much pressure on myself. I wanted this match for the team. There are seniors on this team who are going on to college but won’t play any more tennis. They’re going to have end their career with this loss.”

Becker has signed a letter of intent to play tennis at San Diego State and will continue playing in the Southern Section individuals this weekend at Huntington Beach.

Palm Desert (21-3) and will play North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake in Monday’s finals.