By Hannah Park
The Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) boys’ varsity tennis had an extremely close match against the Valencia High School (VHS) Tigers on Thursday, Mar. 9, with both schools winning nine matches each (9-9). However, the Tigers won 77 games, while the Barons won 75 (75-77), securing VHS the victory.
There was almost no wind that chilly afternoon: ideal weather conditions for the tennis match. But with key seniors absent from today’s game, boys’ tennis was up for a challenge.
“We didn’t have [senior] Alan Ton, who is our number one player. If he had been there, we would have won today very easily,” head coach Harshul Patel said. “But overall, I think the boys performed really well.”
FVHS started off strong as freshman Eric Tran stepped up to take senior Alan Ton’s place, as singles No. 1, and won two out of his three sets, 6-2 and 6-1. With powerful swings and last-second saves, Tran was calm, cool and collected throughout the match.
Singles No. 2, junior Colin Nguyen, also won two out of three with scores of 6-1, 3-6 and 6-1, his fast, accurate serves whistling across the tennis court. Singles No. 3 sophomore Brian Dang lost two sets 0-6 and 4-6, and freshman Ethan Nguyen, who played as his substitute for the last set, finished with a score of 1-6. That being said, both played their hardest, with Dang’s quick footwork and clever technique something to be admired.
“I feel like all of our teammates did really well,” freshman Kai Takishima said. “We just focused on strategy, and how to be more consistent…We’re just warming up for the season.”
The Doubles No. 1 players also gave it their all. Junior Jason Nguyen and senior Kieran Whitney finished their first set 3-6, but they fought for every point with long rallies and smash shots. Their effective communication helped them keep the mood positive as the boys played on. Senior Captain David Hong replaced Whitney for the second and third sets, hitting deep shots across the court that the Tigers struggled to return. They finished 3-6 and 7-6, finishing the last set victorious after a long tiebreaker.
“Given that players are out today, we were set back a little bit at the beginning…[but] I think we did alright,” Jason Nguyen said. “It could have been better.”
Doubles No. 2 junior Dylan Nguyen and sophomore Aanosh Patel ended their sets 6-2, 3-6 and 1-6. Each game was extremely close, with deuces and comebacks galore. Despite losing two games, Aanosh Patel was optimistic about their performance.
“Dylan’s forehand had incredible spin and power, [and he] outmaneuvered his opponents,” Aanosh Patel said. “He aced three or four times…I aced three or four times, too.”
Moreover, the Doubles No. 3 players Takishima and sophomore Hong Le had an outstanding performance with scores of 7-5, 6-1 and 6-2. Their high-energy plays and mutual encouragement led them to victory. Le’s speedy serves were hard to hit, and Takishima’s strong backhand shots and heart-pounding volleys were too powerful for the Tigers.
“I feel like me and my partner communicated way more…and we did a lot better because of the communication. That’s a big key to doubles,” Takishima said. “Once we start playing together more and finding out different things we can do together, I think we’ll definitely start getting better and better.”
Head Coach Patel was content with the boys’ performance and has high hopes for the upcoming season.
“Hopefully, by next week, when we start our in-league offseason matches, we will start putting those things together,” Patel said.
Boys’ varsity tennis will have their next match away on Thursday, Mar. 16, at 3 p.m. against Huntington Beach High School.
