Rare it is for a Santa Barbara girls tennis team to lose a Channel League match.
The Dos Pueblos girls tennis team almost did just that on Tuesday, falling to the Dons on games (74-70) after the match was deadlocked at 9-9 following set play.
With 26-straight league titles under its belt, the Dons always have a target on their back and faced a stiff challenge from Dos Pueblos
“Dos Pueblos had some girls play great for them,” commended Dons coach Steve Geremia. “That’s by far and away the best DP team I’ve seen.”
The most stunning performance came from Dos Pueblos freshman Lauren Stratman, who went 3-0 in singles, including a victory over Santa Barbara No. 1 and defending Channel League champion Rachel Decker-Sadowski.
“I was going for my shots,” said Stratman of her day. “I tried to focus on each and every point.”
“She’s a really good competitor,” said Decker-Sadowski of Stratman, who is ranked in the top-50 nationally in girls 14s. “She fought hard and she played really well. All the credit to her.”
Decker-Sadowski won her other two sets — the only singles victories for the Dons on the day.
One of those was against Dos Pueblos No. 1 singles player and captain Erica Cano, who had only dropped one set so far this year.
“She played well,” said Cano of the 4-6 set. “She adjusted her game when I adjusted mine and she was a couple strokes better.”
Santa Barbara fared much better in doubles. The No. 3 doubles team of Ari Beckerman and Haley Hranicky-Galitzer went 3-0 and Hannah Grokenberger-Kinzie McKeown and April Ludwick-Zoe Miller went 2-1.
The Dons’ only two losses in doubles came from the Chargers team of Amy Logan and Amy Sagraves.
“Even though we lost it feels so good because Amy and I haven’t beat those teams,” said Sagraves . “I don’t think there’s a word to describe it!”
According to DP coach Liz Frech, it was the closest a Charger team has come to beating Santa Barbara in 24 years.
Geremia singled out the set played out by DP’s Hayley Edwards and the Dons freshman Aurora Garrison as the possible difference maker in the overall game count. Garrison went 0-2 on the day, but forced Edwards into a tiebreaker, squeaking out some crucial games.
“Anytime that you’re 9-all and you’re counting games, you have a lot of heroes,” said Geremia, who noted that the doubles team of Beckerman and Hranicky-Galitzer were plus-16 in games won and Grokenberger-McKeown were plus-9.
The Dons improve to 9-0, 4-0 Channel League and the Chargers are now 9-2, 3-1.
“It puts the pressure on us because we’re the team to beat , especially in this league,” said Decker-Sadowski, whose Division-II No. 1 team will face the No. 6-ranked Chargers again on Oct. 28. “But, we’ll be fine”
SANTA BARBARA 9, DOS PUEBLOS 9
(Santa Barbara wins on games, 74-70)
SB Singles: 1) Rachel Decker-Sadowski 2-1 2) Danielle Broida 0-2. 3) Aurora Garrison 0-2. Alternates: Lizzy Langhorne 0-1 Stephanie Thornton 0-1
SB Doubles: 1) Hanna Grokenberger-Kinzie McKeown 2-1. 2) April Ludwick-Zoe Miller 2-1. 3) Ari Beckerman-Haley Hranicky-Galitzer 3-0
DP Singles: 1) Erica Cano, 2-1. 2) Hayley Edwards, 2-1. 3) Lauren Stratman 3-0
DP Doubles: 1) Melissa Dahl-Anna Slyutova, 0-3. 2) Nicoletta Bradley-Oriane Matthys, 0-3. 3) Amy Logan-Amy Sagraves, 2-1.
SB: 9-0 overall, 4-0 League
DP: 9-2 overall, 3-1 League
