Carpinteria’s top-ranked Division 5 girls tennis team is primed for the second season.
The Warriors finished their regular season on Thursday with a 12-6 non-league win over Orcutt Academy, the sixth-ranked team in CIF Division 4.
“I was proud of our girls today as they battled through many closely contested sets and they just showed a lot of grit and determination,” said Carpinteria coach Charles Bryant.
The match came a day after the Frontier League individual championships.
Kelsie Bryant, who won her third straight league singles title, fought off sickness to sweep 6-0, 6-1, 6-1. She has dropped only five games total on the year and raised her overall record to 53-0. Odessa Stork also swept, pulling out a tiebreaker in her first set, 7-6 (3).
“She played very smart and showed a lot of composure in the tight sets,” said Bryant,
In doubles, the No. 1 team of Makenna Pike/Emily Saito went 2-1 with a few 6-4 wins.
“They definitely got better as the match wore on,” said Bryant.
No. 3 Merissa Souza/Gabi Montes De Oca showed they still had energy after the league tournament and won two sets.
Both teams head to the CIF playoffs next week. Carpinteria is 18-2 and Orcutt Academy is 17-2.
