By Sophia Do and Anh Thu Truong
The Fountain Valley High School girls’ tennis team (14-2) fought hard to secure a victory against the Los Alamitos Griffins on Tuesday with a decisive score of 15-3.
Starting with doubles one, the Lady Barons impressively secured victories throughout all their matches. Leading as doubles number one, senior co-captain Katelyn Nguyen and junior Kendra Ly worked effectively to sweep their matches 6-0, 6-1 and 6-2. Ly’s careful precision at the net matched with Nguyen’s powerful groundstrokes allowed the duo to be dominant on the court.
The impressive sister duo of senior co-captain Katie Lam and sophomore Kacie Lam have yet to face a single defeat this season. With strong chemistry and smooth groundstrokes, the duo worked together effectively to win points consistently. Katie Lam’s precise volleys, utilizing her quick footwork and reaction time, paired with Kacie Lam’s sharp crosscourts, swept the Griffins with a score of 6-1, 6-1 and 6-0.
“I am just trying to enjoy every point because this is my last season, and it’s especially fun doing it with our team,” Katie Lam said.
Doubles number three, composed of senior Athena Tran and junior Sophia Do, also used their strong teamwork to secure wins across the board. Utilizing Tran and Do’s crafty style of gameplay, along with their effective communication, the pair were able to clinch an additional three victories. Their final scores were 6-0, 6-1 and 6-3.
In singles, junior Chloe Vu led the Barons singles number one, who dominated with powerful serves and returns to clinch two victories. Vu’s commanding plays paired with her experienced skills allowed her to effectively control the match, finishing with scores of 6-2 and 6-1. In the third round, senior Sophia Duong substituted for Vu. Despite her valiant efforts and displays of athleticism, she concluded with a score of 0-6.
Singles number two, junior Jaslyn Nguyen, also started with a strong performance and secured a solid victory in her first round with a score of 6-2. Though the opposing Griffin picked up steam to win the second round with a score of 3-6, Nguyen showed heart and determination against her crafty opponent. In the last round, freshman Gwendolyn Nguyen stepped in for Jaslyn Nguyen. Though the final score was 1-6, her resilience and best efforts were undeniable.
Representing singles number three, freshman Gabriella Buhina fought hard to win all three rounds, winning her matches 6-2, 6-2 and 6-4. Though the Griffins battled hard, Buhina’s strong serves and versatile gameplay allowed her to effectively maneuver around her opponent’s strategy.
Overall, this positive momentum after a decisive victory has contributed to their growing optimism for the future of their season.
“Our team had great chemistry and performed well today, as usual,” Kacie Lam said. “We want to continue with this positive energy throughout the rest of the season.”
With two consecutive CIF-SS appearances in the last two years, the Lady Barons are on track to making it a third time coming into November.
“We definitely had a really strong game today,” Ly said. “Our goal, ever since the beginning, is to win CIF. I know that if we continue our work and finish strong, we’ll see so much progress.”
The Lady Barons have their next match away against the Newport Harbor High School Sailors on Thursday at 3:00 p.m.
