The passing of the torch began Wednesday at Weston Ranch.

Manteca High’s girls tennis team has title aspirations in the Valley Oak League, and in its second match of the season the Buffaloes blanked the two-time defending champion, 9-0.

While it’s still way too early to crown anyone, it was the second time in as many days that Manteca, now 2-0, came through with a resounding shutout victory, as the Buffaloes dominated Sonora on the road on Tuesday.

Abigail Balingit, one of just three returning starters from last year’s championship team, nearly spoiled Manteca’s bid for a clean sweep. She dropped the third-set tiebreaker 6-10 after splitting the first two 6-4, 3-6 against Manteca’s Jenny Yu in the No. 5 singles match.

The rest of the singles contests were routine victories for the Buffaloes, as Rosa Zou (6-0, 6-1), Wendy Lin (6-2, 6-3), Adaeze Nkwocha (6-0, 6-0), Weley Lin (6-0, 6-1) and Noha Elabed (6-2, 6-0) won in straight sets.

In doubles action, Kaile Hunt and Liz Diaz coasted, 6-2, 6-0; Julia Saling and Sealy McAdams triumphed, 6-3, 6-4; and Elizabeth Tolbert and Fechi Nkwocha prevailed, 6-2, 6-4.

Weston Ranch fell to 0-2.

Manteca will compete in the prestigious two-day California Girls Tennis Classic in Clovis starting Friday. It starts off with Clovis West at 8:30 a.m. before taking on Tehachapi and Nevada Union in the afternoon.