OAKDALE — There were few surprises during the Valley Oak League Singles Tournament at Oakdale High Tuesday.
It will be an all-Bulldog finale Thursday during the doubles tournament, as Ceres High’s McKenzy Harden and Angie Prak will battle for the top individual title after leading the team to a co-championship.
Harden will vie for her third straight singles crown, while Prak will, at the very least, improve on last year’s third-place finish.
Sierra’s Ann McFerran was the area’s top performer.
After coasting to an 8-0 win over Lathrop’s Shawna Hinson, McFerran fought back from an early two-game deficit and won six in a row to knock off Manteca’s Lexi Ziakas. Prak ended McFerran’s run in the quarterfinals, 8-2.
“Ann did well,” Sierra coach Arabella Whitlock said. “She’s a strong player and will continue to get better for next year as a senior, but Angie is tough.”
Ziakas was one of three Buffaloes to advance past the opening round. She started the day with a win over East Union’s Ashley Duenas.
“Lexi played some of her best tennis today,” Manteca coach MaryAnn Tolbert said.
Fellow Manteca Jasmine Sandhu, Manteca’s No. 1 player, got past East Union doubles standout Shalane Jackson. Hilary Coleman also won her first-round match but was dropped by Harden in the second.
Sierra’s Stephanie Vanni, warming up for Thursday’s doubles tournament, easily dispatched Karinna Magana 8-0 in her first singles match of the season. She then lost to Central Valley’s Jessica Rodriguez.
Vanni and doubles teammate Jena Anderson went 24-0 during the regular season and should contend to make the finals. With Anderson graduating this spring, Whitlock may have to play Vanni at singles next year.
“It was good to see Stephanie out there playing well after not playing singles all year,” Whitlock said. “I just wanted to get a feel for how she’d play at singles for next year.”
It will be an all-Bulldog finale Thursday during the doubles tournament, as Ceres High’s McKenzy Harden and Angie Prak will battle for the top individual title after leading the team to a co-championship.
Harden will vie for her third straight singles crown, while Prak will, at the very least, improve on last year’s third-place finish.
Sierra’s Ann McFerran was the area’s top performer.
After coasting to an 8-0 win over Lathrop’s Shawna Hinson, McFerran fought back from an early two-game deficit and won six in a row to knock off Manteca’s Lexi Ziakas. Prak ended McFerran’s run in the quarterfinals, 8-2.
“Ann did well,” Sierra coach Arabella Whitlock said. “She’s a strong player and will continue to get better for next year as a senior, but Angie is tough.”
Ziakas was one of three Buffaloes to advance past the opening round. She started the day with a win over East Union’s Ashley Duenas.
“Lexi played some of her best tennis today,” Manteca coach MaryAnn Tolbert said.
Fellow Manteca Jasmine Sandhu, Manteca’s No. 1 player, got past East Union doubles standout Shalane Jackson. Hilary Coleman also won her first-round match but was dropped by Harden in the second.
Sierra’s Stephanie Vanni, warming up for Thursday’s doubles tournament, easily dispatched Karinna Magana 8-0 in her first singles match of the season. She then lost to Central Valley’s Jessica Rodriguez.
Vanni and doubles teammate Jena Anderson went 24-0 during the regular season and should contend to make the finals. With Anderson graduating this spring, Whitlock may have to play Vanni at singles next year.
“It was good to see Stephanie out there playing well after not playing singles all year,” Whitlock said. “I just wanted to get a feel for how she’d play at singles for next year.”
— Jonamar Jacinto
