Spartans build momentum, 13-5
GLENDALE — La Cañada High’s girls’ tennis team built up some momentum heading into league with a 13-5 win against Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy on Tuesday at Fremont Park in Glendale.
The win pushed La Cañada’s record to 4-3 and should serve as a confidence-builder for its first match in Rio Hondo League against Temple City today.
“Winning and losing is a habit, and confidence breeds wins,” Spartans Coach Will Moravec said. “We have to have some matches like this where the girls don’t have to sweat it and know they can win.”
Tuesday served as a chance for the Tologs to get their feet underneath them since they entered the year short on experience, Sacred Heart Coach John Robb said.
“We were a little rusty out there today,” Robb said. “As the year goes on, we will get better and start peaking at the end of the season in league.”
The Spartans’ doubles teams cemented themselves as the backbone of their squad against the Tologs. All three of La Cañada’s teams combined to go 8-1.
Standing out were senior Missy Antonoplis and sophomore Sydney Fischel, La Cañada’s top duo. Despite triple-digit temperatures, the pair cruised through all three of its sets, 6-0.
“A win like this will get our confidence up for when league starts,” Antonoplis said. “I have a feeling our team will do really well in league.”
Antonoplis and Fischel have been firing on all cylinders so far, as they make their way into league with an 18-3 record.
“It’s a little nerve-wracking coming into league because it’s actually going to start to count, but it’s exciting because I know we’ve starting out really well,” Fischel said. “Hopefully we’ll end well, too.”
Senior Camille Dunn has stepped up as the Spartans’ No. 1 singles player and she lived up to her title against Sacred Heart, winning three sets, 6-0, 6-1, 6-3.
“Camille Dunn is doing really good holding down the fort for singles,” Moravec said. “I’m hoping that our other singles players will come around after a win like today.”
Dunn’s fiercest competition on Tuesday came in the form of the Tolog’s No. 3, Deepti Reedy, who battled for most of the set.
“[Reedy] is becoming a real pest to some of these singles players out there,” Robb said.
Reedy was able to win two of her sets, 6-2, 6-4, and stayed close with Dunn, losing 6-3.
“I feel like as part of the team I should be contributing as much as I can,” Reedy said.
Sacred Heart’s No. 1 singles player, senior Emily Katz, also contributed two victories to the Tologs, going 0-6, 6-0, 6-1.
Moravec says he feels good about his group coming into Rio Hondo League play, as his squad looks to capture a league title for the first time since 2008.
“At this stage, we hope that everyone has learned their lessons, know what they are supposed to do, are playing to their strengths and has everything worked out,” Moravec said.