By Sophia Do & Kevin Tran
The Fountain Valley High School boys’ tennis team faced off against Trabuco Hills Mustangs on Thursday, destroying them with a score of 15-3. This marks the Barons’ second consecutive win of the season, solidifying a strong start in their first two games.
Several Barons delivered standout performances, dominating their matches with skill and precision.
Leading the charge, the Barons’ singles number one freshman Tri Le dominated his opponent with deadly serves and powerful swings. He easily overwhelmed his opponent, sweeping all three rounds and received a flawless 6-0 score on all of them.
Junior Eric Tran also put on a strong performance, demonstrating excellent control throughout his matches. He secured victories with scores of 6-1, 6-2 and 6-0, further contributing to the Barons’ dominant showing.
In doubles, senior Vincent Nguyen and freshman Sho Takashima displayed strong teamwork and movement. With Takashima’s sharp volleys, the duo secured a commanding win, taking the first set 6-1.
The second round was a bit more challenging for the duo, their opponents started moving more making it harder to place shots effectively. However, Nguyen and Takashima remained composed and worked together, ultimately securing a 6-2 victory through strong teamwork and strategy.
“Our opponents were all over the place, which was a little hard sometimes,” Sho Takashima said. “I have a teammate, [and] he’s always good because once I go down, he brings me up, and when he goes down, I bring him up.”
Another doubles team, junior Kai Takashima and sophomore Dylan Nguyen battled through a tough match. They fell 3-6 as a result of a rough start. However, the duo won their second round with a score of 6-3 and split their rounds.
“Our goal [for] this match was to work on our weaknesses,” head coach Harshul Patel said. “Certain things like short balls, putting the ball away down the line and placements.”
With this being one of the weaker teams on their match schedules according to Patel, the Barons will have to face more competitive high schools throughout the season.
The Barons’ next match will be at home against Mater Dei High School at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
