BTen: Dons fight to the end in loss to No. 1 University

Top-ranked and undefeated University had too much firepower for Santa Barbara High and eliminated the Dons in the second round of the CIF Division 1 tennis playoffs 15-3, on Friday.

The Dons won two singles sets and one in doubles, but coach Greg Tebbe liked how his team battled.

“Even though the final score was was heavily in their favor, our guys played some of their best tennis of the season today,” Tebbe said. “In the first round, we were ahead 5-4 in two matches and were up a break of serve in two others, so we had a chance to make this very interesting.”

University managed to pull out the close sets and took a commanding 6-0 lead in the the first round.

Tebbe said “the very last match epitomized our work ethic, as freshman Harry deBoer was down 2-5 but battled back to force a tiebreaker before narrowly losing 6-7.

“The overall match had already been decided but Harry was determined to fight to the last point, irregardless of the score,” he added. “That attitude is a reflection of the entire team and I am very proud of this group. It has been a great season and we can hold our heads high. This team upheld the long tradition of excellence associated with Santa Barbara high tennis.”

The Dons finish at 14-6, while University moves on the quarterfinals at 20-0.

Singles:
Morgan Hale 1-2
Jordan Rodnick 1-2
Harry deBoer 0-3
Doubles:
Jackson Powell /Miles Hale 1-2
Ryan Chung / Logan Lender 0-3
Matt McClintock / Jake Sutton 0-2
Max Mercurio / Jake Sutton 0-1