Dana Hills Continues Strong Start

Apparently the No. 2 county ranking is justified. After two matches against ranked teams, Dana Hills is off to a 2-0 start. Tuesday at Dana Hills, the Dolphins took care of fourth-ranked Troy, 11-7. Last week, they trounced then sixth-ranked University, 16-2.

“This is a good start, but we just can’t get complacent,” Dana Hills Coach Jim Wilson said. “The one concern is that we keep improving because we know everyone else will.”

Dana Hills is already showing it has improved its doubles. Last year, the Dolphins defeated Troy, 10-8, on the strength of its singles lineup. But Tuesday, Dana Hills’ doubles teams took five of nine sets against a Troy team that prides itself on doubles.

“Last year they really spanked us in doubles,” Wilson said. “I knew it’d be a good litmus test for our doubles. And it did expose some things.”

But not enough things.

“I think maybe we surprised them last year,” Troy Coach Donna Judd said. “That was the first Division I team we had played. But I think they were up for us this time. They’re pretty solid up and down that lineup.”

The Dolphins got a sweep from Chelsy Thompson at No. 2 singles and the No. 1 doubles team of Catie Reames and Kristin Broniwicki. Kady Pooler, at No. 1 singles, won two of three and so did Lauren Calton and Kristen Wilson at No. 2 doubles. The biggest surprise came at No. 3 singles, where Amy Vyhnis took a set and lost to No. 2 Aya Sakoda, 7-6.

“We had a nice performance from Amy,” Wilson said. “She can play varsity tennis and that bodes well for us. She will be competitive in a lot of matches.”

The first round of Tuesday’s match ended with Dana Hills ahead, 5-1, but it was much more competitive than that. Reames and Broniwicki faced a set point before recovering to defeat Veronica Fermin and Stacey Lee, 7-6 (8-6). Calton and Wilson had to struggle to beat Pam Abella and Maja Pesyna, 6-4.

“The match might have gone quite a bit differently had we been able to pull off those doubles sets,” Judd said.

Fermin and Lee came back to take their next two sets, 6-1, 6-0.