Women’s tennis sinks to St. Francis

By Annie Cui,
BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–

The women’s varsity tennis team lost against St. Francis 1-8 on Oct. 5. So far this season, St. Francis has been the only school to defeat Davis High.

The first match to finish and the only Davis victory of the day was from No. 1 singles junior Lillian Okamoto. Through her cross-court slams and aces, Okamoto smoked her opponent 6-1 and 6-0.

No. 2 singles player sophomore Lyna Jiang battled out a long match, ending in a loss with 4-6 and 6-7.

However, Jiang still pushed herself by racing up to the net for fiery volleys and striking shots barely touching the alley across the court. She even risked hitting an overhead shot in front of the service line, winning an unexpected point that landed just at the baseline.

Despite the losses from a majority of the team, the players remain confident and with high spirits. After losing to St. Francis 2-7 in a previous match, the Blue Devils used this opportunity to learn and improve.

“We were all very hopeful. We were excited to play them because they’re our hardest competitors. We have nothing to lose [because] we are the underdogs,” sophomore Maru Marquez said.

Marquez played No.2 doubles with freshman Michela Gunther and lost 4-6 and 4-6.

“They hit very consistent, very hard. All we had to do was hit consistent back and they’d eventually hit it out, [but] we let them get to us whenever they weren’t very nice. We had good points; Michela had a lot of good volleys. It was a good day for the both of us.” Marquez said.

Junior Julia Pan played No.1 doubles with partner freshman Reina Shauman and lost 1-6 and 4-6, but like fellow teammate Marquez, Pan is satisfied with her performance.

“I showcased everything I’ve been working on […] This was one of my favorite matches and we had some of the longest rallies. They hit with a lot of power and it was nice to be able to strategize against that today,” Pan said.

Coach Sally Hosley is proud of the team, especially because St. Francis is its top competitor.

“Overall, I think they [Davis High] played the best and a little beyond their abilities. St. Francis typically has a strong team not just at the top; they’re strong all the way up and down,” Hosley said.

After this match, the team only has three more league matches before the Sac Joaquin Sections begins, where the top three teams of each league compete. So far, DHS is ranked second in the Delta League.

Next up for the team on Oct. 9 is a match against Franklin, whom they have previously narrowly defeated 5-4.

“We hope to go in there really strong with another win against Franklin […] It looks pretty good right now,” Hosley said.