Coming off a win at last week’s Trans Valley League (TVL) doubles mixed tournament, this week’s doubles matches didn’t go as planned for Orestimba High School’s tennis team.
With six teams competing, Orestimba went winless in Tuesday’s TVL Championship doubles matches on the courts at Ripon High School and Ripon Community Center.
“Obviously, this tournament was tough,” said head coach Nolan Osborn. “I think they’re (Orestimba) motivated and they know what’s expected of them for the following year.”
The two mixed doubles matches that Orestimba played in were the Warriors’ at their best as both matches went to a third set.
Ashlynn Bell and Aaron Gallardo, who came off winning the TVL mixed doubles tournament last Saturday, met their toughest opponent this season in Escalon High School’s Brien Novetzke and Violet Da Silva. After winning the first set, Orestimba lost the following set, 7-6, resulting in a third set to determine the winner of the match. Novertzke and Da Silva momentum carried into the third set where they won, 6-2, to win the match.
After Bell and Gallardo was Chris Alvarado and Mirella Fregoso, who competed against Ripon Christian High School’s Alton Menosides and Sophia Cheney. Following a loss in the opening set, Orestimba bounced back in the second set, 6-4, to force a third set. In an intense set, Menosides and Cheney won the match for Ripon Christian with a 7-5 win in the third set.
In the first round of the girls’ doubles match, Orestimba’s Fernanda Alvarado and Isabella Pacheco lost to Sonora High School in two sets, 6-2, 7-5.
The results remained the same in the quarterfinals as three Warriors doubles teams lost their respective matches.
Orestimba’s Mallory Solano and Giselle Marquez girls’ doubles match against Hughson High School was intense as the match went to three sets. After losing the opening set, Solano and Marquez bounced back the in the following set, 7-6, to force a third set. However, their momentum did not carry over as they lost the set, 7-5, resulting in a loss in the match.
In their boys’ doubles match, the Warriors’ Ernesto Chavez and Kevin Rodriguez fell to Hughson in two sets, 6-3, 6-4. Orestimba lost another boys’ doubles match to Ripon Christian in two sets, 6-3, 6-1.
Following the TVL Championship series, Osborn said that this may have been the team’s final matches of the season as top three teams in the TVL will go to the team section playoffs. Osborn added that the league standings have not been finalized.
If this is how the Warriors’ season end, the first-year head coach credited the team’s willingness throughout the season in competing against the best teams in the TVL.
“This season was kind of just a little bit of a rebuild, and just so they can see what it’s like, obviously, looking into next year, they know what’s expected of them,” Osborn said. “The other teams had way more years of experience than us. So, props to them for still going out, putting a fight.”
Navtej Hundal is a freelance journalist in Stanislaus County
