Taft Ends Dolphins’ Reign

In a rematch of last year’s City Section girls’ tennis final, Taft turned the tables on Palisades last Wednesday, earning three out of four singles points to pull out a 4-3 quarterfinal victory at the Palisades Recreation Center. These were not the same teams that had met for the championship the previous two seasons. Each lost its best singles player to graduation and both have new coaches. The sixth-seeded Toreadors, however, played the big points better and ended Palisades’ three-year reign in abrupt fashion. “I stuck to the same lineup I’ve used all along, we just weren’t firing on all cylinders today,” said Dolphins’ Coach Sean Passan, who took over for Bud Kling after last year’s final, which Palisades won 5-2. “It could’ve gone either way, but where we stumbled was at No. 1 doubles and No. 3 singles. I expected us to win both of those.” Two-time City Individual champion Katy Nikolova, who graduated last fall, showed up to cheer on her former teammates. But unfortunately for the Dolphins, she wasn’t allowed on the court. Taft, meanwhile, tied for third in the West Valley League without Sarah Cohen, the second best player in the City a year ago. “This is the first time we’ve been able to win a doubles set against them,” said Taft’s former coach Tom Wright, merely an interested spectator this time, having stepped down following last year’s playoffs. “I figured we had to sweep singles but it didn’t turn out that way.” Amy Gore and Elizabeth Silvers won, 6-3, 6-4, at No. 2 doubles and Ashley Navas paired with Marina Sterngold to win by the same score at No. 3 doubles for the third-seeded Dolphins (13-5), who failed to reach at least the semifinals for the first time since 2000. Yuliya Maystruk clinched the victory for Taft (10-5) with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Audrey Ashraf at No. 1 singles. However, the doubles duo of Jordan Hutkin and Joanna Sterngold (Marina’s cousin) earned the key point for the Toreadors, rallying past Palisades’ top tandem of Rose Schlaff and Malina Loeher, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. Passan’s “Player of the Match” honor went to freshman Perri Zaret, who outlasted Taft’s Rebecca Mesropyan, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, at No. 4 singles. By that time, however, the outcome was already decided. “Given where we started I’m very proud of the girls for making it this far,” Passan said. “It’s not the way this program is accustomed to ending the season but there’s a lot to build on for next year.” For at least some of the Dolphins the season isn’t over. The City Individual tournament begins December 1 at Balboa Sports Center in Encino.