Singles key for Hoover
NORTHWEST GLENDALE — Both coaches knew Thursday’s Pacific League rematch between the Hoover High and Glendale girls’ tennis teams was going to go down to the wire.
The Tornadoes had to rely on a tiebreaker to defeat the Nitros when the two met on Sept. 14. Hoover got a little more breathing room in a 10-8 victory Thursday. Just like the previous meeting, Glendale relied on its doubles teams and Hoover looked to its singles players for wins.
“This time we got a little lucky,” Hoover Coach Julie Hoppe said in reference to Eugenia Bagdassarian, Glendale’s No. 2 singles player, being sick Thursday.
Glendale Coach Bob Davidson knew Bagdassarian’s absence stacked the deck in Hoover’s favor.
“We didn’t have any answer for their one and two singles, they pretty much dominated us,” Davidson said. “That put a lot of pressure on us. It’s hard to get eight or nine sets in doubles alone.”
Kristine Adzhemyan and Diana Karpetyan, Hoover’s No. 1 doubles team, took two sets from Glendale (1-8, 1-6 in league) in doubles with 6-2, 6-2 wins.
“We work as a team,” Karpetyan said, explaining their success Thursday. “If one of us makes a mistake, the other one has their back.”
The pair’s performance backed Hoover’s domination in singles, as the Tornadoes (4-7, 3-4) won seven singles sets. Meghedi Mooradian and Petra Beglarian, Hoover’s top two singles players, swept all their games, as both posted 6-0, 6-0, 6-0 wins.
Glendale’s top doubles team, Rochelle Lingat and CC McLean, also swept Thursday, 6-2, 7-6, 6-1. Angie Santago and Emily Levin, the Nitros’ No. 2 doubles pair, won two of their sets, 6-2, 6-3.
“I thought our doubles played well,” Davidson said. “[Lingat and McLean] have dominated pretty much all year.”
Hoover got its two remaining wins from Sara Kim (7-5) and Karmela Castro and Annie Lee in doubles (6-0). Glendale got two singles victories from Imani Story (6-3) and Veronika Galstyan (6-2).
Hoppe said improvement in Hoover’s doubles teams, not just luck, helped clinch the victory.
“I am happy with the way the doubles stepped it up today,” she said.