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Manteca knocks off Tracy in D-II opener
Tracy-Manteca girls tennis
Eva Pasion puts away the overhead smash as Manteca No. 1 doubles teammate Alayna Bottoms backs her up Monday in a Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoff match Monday against visiting Tracy at Manteca Regional Tennis Center. - photo by JONAMAR JACINTO

Early-season cancellations did not allow Manteca to get any tune-up matches before the start of Valley Oak League play.

The Buffaloes breezed through their league schedule and went undefeated, but they had no idea how they’d stack up against Division II competition in the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.

A three-time champion in Division III, sixth-seeded Manteca opened the postseason Monday with a 7-2 rout of No. 11 Tracy at Manteca Regional Tennis Center.

Up next for the Buffs is a road match Wednesday at No. 3 Mountain House, which waxed 14th-seeded Rodriguez, 8-1. Mountain House claimed the Division IV crown last year. Manteca’s most recent Section championship run was in 2019, but the coronavirus pandemic prevented it from defending the title with much of the same players the following year. The Buffaloes did not qualify in 2021.

“We kind of started the season in a deficit (because of cancelled non-league matches), but we did really well in league,” longtime Manteca coach MaryAnn Tolbert said. “Now, it’s going to be almost brand new facing anybody. D-II is tough, but it’s just exciting to be back in the playoffs. “

Manteca notched the victory in quick order, taking the first five singles matches. Senior Jenna Poncini, who was part of the 2019 championship team, provided the clincher with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Alyssa Noll in the No. 5 matchup.

“I went in with confidence,” Poncini said. “We just have to play the game we always do. I had full confidence in all of the players. I wasn’t too nervous. If we lose, we lose — we already won VOL and I’m content with that.

“I know we have it in us to win and we really want to make it back to Sections. We all have that fight in us.”

Reigning Valley Oak League and SJS Division II singles champion Katie Kim took care of Melissa Paul-Vasquez, 6-0, 6-0. Nos. 2-4 players Chloe Marquis (6-4, 6-2), Emma Ngo (6-0, 6-0) and Shreya Raman (6-2, 6-0) also swept.

Riya Bhatia of Tracy took the No. 6 match against Christina Nguyen, 6-2, 1-6, 10-6. Tracy is the third-place team out of the Tri-City Athletic League.

In doubles action, Manteca’s No. 1 team of Eva Pasion and Alayna Bottoms defeated Akshara Vashela and Avneet Sidhu, 6-3, 6-4. The No. 3 tandem of Guadalupe Mercado and Michailla Springs avoided a third set in the final match of the day, holding off Hibah Hussain and Rachel Troung, 6-1, 7-5.

Tracy’s Yazmeen Razi and Emily Fox won the No. 2 match against Simar Mann and Parm Toor, 6-4, 6-1.

“We played well today,” Tolbert said. “I’m not going to be disappointed in a 7-2 win.”