By Sophia Do
The Fountain Valley High School boys’ tennis team played against the Mater Dei Monarchs on Tuesday, suffering a tough loss and falling 12-6. The doubles and singles lineup battled through tough winds, aiming to improve on last year’s 15-3 loss to the Monarchs. This match marked their third game of the preseason as the Barons continue to prepare for upcoming league competition.
The Barons started off with a closely-contested matchup, where senior captain Vincent Nguyen and his doubles partner freshman Sho Takishima, who went on to win all three of their matches, secured the first win in the doubles one lineup. Thanks to Nguyen’s explosive serves and Takishima’s aggressive netplay, the duo won their matches with a score of 6-3.
Securing only one win in the first round, the Barons fought harder against the Monarchs in the second round, winning four out of six matches. In singles, freshman Tri Le dominated and swept his opponent with a 6-0 victory, showcasing strong, fast groundstrokes. Junior Eric Tran delivered a crucial win in his match, narrowly defeating his opponent 6-4 with his impressive footwork.
Junior Fares Kamel, playing in the singles two lineup, was ejected from the first round due to a lingering wrist injury. Junior Logan Palmer, stepping in for Kamel, fought hard but was ultimately defeated.
In round two of doubles, Nguyen and Takishima secured a narrow 7-5 victory. In the doubles two lineup, juniors Kai Takishima and Dylan Nguyen followed suit with a 6-2 win. Dylan Nguyen delivered fast serves combined with Takishima’s aggressive play. In doubles lineup three, senior Nathan Lupor and junior Brayden Langhans fell short with a score of 4-6.
“I’m really proud of how my players fought back after the first round. They kept pushing and gave it their all, especially in the doubles matches knowing we still had a chance,” head tennis coach Harshul Patel said.
“After a rough start, it felt great to get that win in round two. We were all focused, and on our feet. It’s all about building on that energy,” Tran said.
The overall score closed to 5-6 after the second round with the Barons staying confident and looking for doubles victories to close the gap.
Entering round three with an uncertain outcome, Mater Dei made several substitutions in their doubles lineup. The Barons’ singles lineup battled against the Monarchs but came up short.
However, the games concluded with an intense showdown between Nguyen and Takishima and Mater Dei’s doubles number two lineup. With both teams cheering from the sidelines, the pressure was tangible. Nguyen and Takishima ultimately secured the 6-4 victory, winning all three of their matches and remaining undefeated.
“I didn’t think we would win that last match, but we fought hard and I think my partner and I played consistently,” Nguyen said. “This was great practice for us, and I’m proud of the team for putting their best foot forward against a tough team.”
Coach Patel is far from accepting defeat and is already preparing for a rematch with a solid plan. The Barons are progressing through their preseason, with league matches set to begin in just a couple of weeks. This challenging match has served as valuable practice.
“I’m proud of how we performed today. We certainly did better than last year, and the players have improved. If we were to face the Monarchs again, I know exactly how I would adjust my lineup for a better chance at securing victories,” Patel said.
Their next home game is on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. against Valencia though the chance of rain may impact the schedule.
