Jason Mitchell
Coming off a third-place finish in the Prep League Tournament, the girls’ varsity tennis team has been dominating the Division IV CIF playoffs. The Panthers opened with an 11-7 win against Mission Viejo in the first round. They kept their momentum with a nail-biting win against Valencia in the second round, defeating the Tigers on the road. The Panthers defeated the Tigers by a mere five games as their matches were tied 9-9, so the winner was decided by who won the most games among all the matches. The Panthers came out on top 76-71. They once again pulled off an intense win in the CIF quarter-finals against Sierra Canyon, with another win decided by games, 79-74. On the playoffs, sophomore Maggie Tsay reflected, “CIF has been really challenging, but the energy and positivity that we bring helps us with each match.” Their success has largely been a product of head coach Manuel Davila’s ability to strategically adapt, making crucial moves by changing up the lineup in their CIF run to win the most points possible. Asserting their dominance on the court as a doubles team, sophomore Tsay and freshman Abby Cunningham have had immense success in the CIF playoffs, winning their last six matches as of their victory against Sierra Canyon on Nov. 10th. Tsay and Cunningham have been improving every match and playing well together as one of the team’s younger duos. Freshman Lina Haaga has also stepped up as one of the Panthers’ key singles players. Additionally, freshmen Chloe Shyu and junior Dora Chen have been dominating the competition to earn the team points in their CIF matches. Chen, one of the most skilled players in the San Gabriel Valley, finished second in the Prep League Individual Tournament prior to CIF playoffs, earning her First Team All-Prep League Honors. With Chen’s effort on the court, she secured key points to push the Panthers over the edge in their close wins in their deep CIF Playoff run. Junior captain Malia Mohandesi stated, “I know we can win. Our team may be young, but they know what they’re doing; all our players are extremely talented and motivated, so we can for sure win.” On Nov. 12th, the Panthers lost to Oaks Christian School with a final score of 7-11, making their semi-final CIF match their last of the season. Although Poly hasn’t won a CIF Girls Tennis Championship in over a decade, the team’s overall success this year is still a huge testament to their unwavering commitment and dedication to the sport.