With victories over Riverbank and Orestimba - sweeping both squads - the Escalon tennis team kicked off its Trans-Valley League campaign by going 2-0 for the week. They improved to 6-0 overall.
Hosting Riverbank on March 20, the 9-0 win saw the Cougars hitting on all cylinders with singles wins from Jack Berry and Zach Mando, Parker Pilati and Shay Beam. Doubles wins came from Frank Perez and Rafael Felix, Ian Fitzgerald and Ashton Redberg in boys, Megan Faria and Ashley Lima, Taylor Busch and Maggie Casteel in girls and the mixed doubles tandem of Christian Sjoling and Hailey Metzler.
"We are off to a good start," said coach Dan Thompson. "Friday we got a nice win against Orestimba, Jack and Zach were winners, Shay and Ashley Lima played girls singles and Shay was a little nervous, she hasn't played singles a lot but she is 6-0 now and got a good win."
Sjoling and Felix paired for boys doubles and are developing into what Thompson termed a "Section quality looking doubles team" with Faria and Metzler teaming for first girls doubles, winning 6-0, 6-0 over Orestimba. Second boys doubles was Perez and freshman Marc Ney, who earned his varsity letter on Friday, and the second girls doubles was Casteel and Busch, who continue to work well together.
"Our mixed doubles, we had the brother and sister team of Ian and Clare Fitzgerald, it was Clare's first varsity match and they won."
The weather could cause some problems this week, but the Cougars have three matches on the schedule. They were slated to be on the road for all three, at Ripon on Monday, Modesto Christian on Tuesday, and close out the week at Hughson on Friday, March 30.
Hosting Riverbank on March 20, the 9-0 win saw the Cougars hitting on all cylinders with singles wins from Jack Berry and Zach Mando, Parker Pilati and Shay Beam. Doubles wins came from Frank Perez and Rafael Felix, Ian Fitzgerald and Ashton Redberg in boys, Megan Faria and Ashley Lima, Taylor Busch and Maggie Casteel in girls and the mixed doubles tandem of Christian Sjoling and Hailey Metzler.
"We are off to a good start," said coach Dan Thompson. "Friday we got a nice win against Orestimba, Jack and Zach were winners, Shay and Ashley Lima played girls singles and Shay was a little nervous, she hasn't played singles a lot but she is 6-0 now and got a good win."
Sjoling and Felix paired for boys doubles and are developing into what Thompson termed a "Section quality looking doubles team" with Faria and Metzler teaming for first girls doubles, winning 6-0, 6-0 over Orestimba. Second boys doubles was Perez and freshman Marc Ney, who earned his varsity letter on Friday, and the second girls doubles was Casteel and Busch, who continue to work well together.
"Our mixed doubles, we had the brother and sister team of Ian and Clare Fitzgerald, it was Clare's first varsity match and they won."
The weather could cause some problems this week, but the Cougars have three matches on the schedule. They were slated to be on the road for all three, at Ripon on Monday, Modesto Christian on Tuesday, and close out the week at Hughson on Friday, March 30.
