GTen: Murrieta Valley ends Rams’ CIF run

Murrieta Valley ousted Cate from the CIF Division-2 playoffs on Monday in a 14-4 decision in which the Nighthawks swept all nine singles sets.

The result moves Murrieta, the division’s No. 4 overall seed, into the semifinals.

The Nighthawks’ No. 1 Jovana Kuljanin rallied from behind to defeat Cate’s No. 1 Julia Gan in the first round 7-5, setting in motion a dominant day for Murrieta Valley in singles.

Summer Christensen and McKenna Madden gave Cate two points in doubles, as did the No. 2 team of Eva Herman and Janice Ng.

“In the end, we just came up against a stronger team. There’s nothing more we could have done,” said Cate head coach Trevor Thorpe. “My girls made me very proud today, not just in the way they battled, but also in the way they carried themselves.”

Gan, singles player Jackie Cai, and the doubles team of Christensen and Madden continue their seasons at the CIF Individual Tournament beginning on Monday, November 23.