The Tehachapi High tennis squad recently participated in the SYML Individual Tennis Tournament in Bakersfield, with a handful of Lady Warriors coming away with medals.
Highlighting the tournament was Riley Walden and Paityn Billings, who both went 3-0 in their bracket to take first place honors in doubles. After receiving a bye in the first round as the no. 1 seed, Walden-Billings took out their second round opponent from East (6-0, 6-2) and third round opponent from East (6-0, 6-3) before winning the finals over their opponent from South (6-4, 6-7, 6-2).
Also performing well was singles player Naomi Park, who after a bye in the first round and had a second-round victory over her East opponent (6-2, 6-2) and third round over her East opponent (6-4, 6-3) before narrowly falling in the finals over her South opponent (6-3, 1-6, 6-2).
Other victories in the tournament came from Rose Gray over her opponent from North (6-0, 6-0) and Tehachapi (6-4, 6-0) and Emma Gibson over her opponent from North (4-6, 6-1, 6-3).
Other participants in the varsity tourney were the doubles tandems of Lauryn Merkley – Carly Sterk and Olivia Loyd – Jane Stanley.
Lady Warriors that qualified based on their finishes in the league tourney will move on to the Area Individual Tournament on Friday-Saturday, Nov. 3-4 at Stockdale High School.
Volleyball wins SYML championship and enter CIF CS D2 Playoffs
The Lady Warriors clinched an undefeated South Yosemite Mountain League championship this past week after a 3-0 match sweep over West.
Tehachapi (24-6, 8-0) defeated West (25-14, 25-19, 26-24) behind Jo Rausch (21 kills, 13 digs, four bocks), Koree Rodden (10 kills, 10 digs), Carly Hayes (four kills, four digs), Presley Gardner (seven digs), MacKenna Chambers (16 assists, five digs), Livee Garrett (13 assists, five digs) and Kayden Killngsworth (five digs).
Mountain Volleyball wrapped up the regular season last Thursday with a non-league win over Arvin (25-14, 25-20, 25-23). Standout performances came from Rausch (18 kills, five blocks, five digs), Rodden (eight kills, four blocks), Annie Loken (six kills), Hayes (four kills), Chambers (22 assists, six digs) and Garrett (eight assists).
The Lady Warriors will move on to the CIF Central Section Division II playoffs as the no. 11 seed, taking on the no. 6 Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial, who won the CMAC championship. The match will be on Tuesday, Oct. 24 in Fresno at 6 p.m. The winner of the match will take on the victor of no. 3 Centennial and no. 14 Clovis East on Thursday, Oct. 26 in the playoff quarterfinals.
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