Falcons show no fatigue, down Burroughs
LA CRESCENTA — It was a different day, but the same result for the Crescenta Valley High girls’ tennis team, as the Falcons powered through Burroughs, their visiting Pacific League opponent, 16-2, Thursday, after defeating South Pasadena by the same score Wednesday.
It was the Falcons’ fourth win in as many days.
“It was our fourth match in a row, but we just wanted to go out there and get it done,” Crescenta Valley Coach Sarah Wiggins said. “Sometimes when the competition isn’t as strong. people can lose interest and play down. I was happy we kept the momentum up.”
Burroughs Coach Roy Bernhardt said his team won’t have a problem moving on from Thursday’s loss.
“We just have to keep playing the way we are and kind of ignore this game, while learning what we can from it,” Bernhardt said.
Crescenta Valley (5-1, 3-1 in league) dominated singles play for the second straight day, as Emily Borkowski and Karen Ataian, the Falcons’ No. 1 and 2 singles players, respectively, swept for the second day in a row. Borkowski dropped just one game Thursday with 6-0, 6-1, 6-0 wins. Ataian also cruised, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
“I just wasn’t trying to overpower anything today, I just wanted to keep the ball in,” said Borkowski, adding that her team has picked up a lot of confidence in this four-game stretch. “It feels like our practices are paying off. We are playing hard.”
Burroughs (3-3, 2-2 in league) picked up its two victories from its No. 2 singles player, Kathy Henry, and No. 2 doubles team, Maria Garcia and Amanda Trinh. Garcia and Trinh picked up a win against Amanda DeLeon and Viktoriya Shumakova, who played out of the No. 1 doubles slot for the Falcons.
DeLeon and Shumakova won their other two sets, 6-1, 6-4.
Henry suffered her first two losses of the season Thursday, but managed to defeat Jackie Dilanchyan, CV’s No. 3 singles player, 6-4. Dilanchyan won her other two sets, 6-2, 6-3.
“[Henry] has been great this year,” Bernhardt said of his top singles player, who was an All-Area volleyball player last year. “Hopefully she can get us into the playoffs, she has given us a real chance this year.”
Wiggins was able to get all her subs in for the second match in a row, as she shuffled her doubles rotation.
Out of the No. 2 doubles slot, Christina Garapetian and Sarah Oh won their two sets, 6-4, 6-0, before being subbed out for Sarah Yaghoubi and Sally Jo, who won 7-6 in the final round.
Amanda Lockwood and Sydney Farzadkish, playing out of CV’s No. 3 doubles slot, won their two sets, 6-1, 6-1, before being subbed out for Michelle Choi and Alice Nam, who picked up a 6-2 win.
“The key to winning is doubles combinations,” said Wiggins, adding that it’s something every coach has to experiment with throughout the year. “That’s kind of why we loaded up here before league. You want to have your doubles lineup set in stone for league matches.”