ROSEVILLE — Getting past the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II Individual Tennis Tournament isn’t a common feat for those who qualify out of the Valley Oak League.
On Thursday, every VOL representative won their opening matches, and there is even a doubles team that remains in the hunt. Manteca High’s Julia Tang and Sahiba Kaur, the VOL doubles champions, won two matches Thursday and return to Johnson Ranch Racquet Club today for the semifinals.
“This is the first time since I’ve been coaching that we’ve had someone advance — usually it’s one and done,” said MaryAnn Tolbert, head coach of the three-time defending VOL team champion Buffaloes.
Tang and Kaur, seeded third, started with a 6-1, 6-4 win over West Campus’ Ariana Aguilar and Yaire Padilla. They then outlasted Trinity Meza and Sarah White of Los Banos, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. Tang and Kaur will face No. 2 Faustina Wan and Flora Wan of Rodriguez today.
“Julia and Sahiba are very strong tennis players and they’re going up there to the section tournament pressed into a completely different caliber of players,” Tolbert said. “It can be a culture shock, but the girls did a really good job of competing today.”
Buffaloes teammates Ellie Kim and Makenna Condit, the VOL’s doubles runners-up, was eliminated by the fourth-seeded Vanden tandem of Katie McDaniel and Tatiana Orellana, 6-1, 6-1. They opened with a 6-1, 6-0 sweep of West Campus’ Tran Hoang and Mirjana Knepprath.
Rio Americano’s Emma and Claire Chally are the No. 1 seed of the bracket. Emma Chally was part of the second-place doubles team last year.
Sierra junior Kaitlyn Rausa, a third-year section qualifier, finally got over the hump after first-round exits in her previous visits. She edged out Ponderosa’s Ania Lobsinger 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 and dropped a 1-6, 2-6 decision to top-seeded Laura Wadsworth of Armijo.
VOL singles champion Colleen Ballatore of Central Catholic was ousted by No. 2 Jenasis Yarrell of El Capitan, 1-6, 6-1, 6-2.