OPHS girls tennis advances to CIF playoffs in the postseason
Oak Park High School’s girls tennis team swept through this season with an overall record of 14-1 and a ranking of No. 23 in the CIF Southern Section. They finished as undefeated Coastal Canyon League champions for the second year in a row, securing a spot in the Division II CIF playoffs beginning Wednesday, Nov. 5.
With playoffs just around the corner, the team has been building momentum in recent matches.
“In our most recent match, we had a great win against Camarillo with a score of 17-1, a team that happened to be a difficult opponent in previous years,” senior captain Amilya Chapovsky said. “Both our varsity and junior varsity players played phenomenally.”
Following that strong performance, players are training diligently and supplementing official practices with individual preparation for the CIF playoffs.
“We’re doing a lot of practice matches and some scrimmages,” senior captain Ella Morey said. “We have two separate teams and [we] try to simulate what would happen in an actual match.”
During these practice matches, team members have honed specific skills in preparation for the postseason.
“Our team has been working a lot on serves, in order to have a strong start during each service game, and volleys, in order to be aggressive at the net,” senior captain Niyati Guram said. “We have also been working on overall consistency and footwork to keep the ball in play during tough points.”
Some tennis players played in individual CIFs beginning Oct. 28. Unlike team CIFs, individual CIFs do not have divisions and are not determined by overall team performance.
“Individual championships take six players from each of the Coastal Canyon League schools, so [the top two] singles players and [the top two] doubles teams, and they each play in a random draw against the other schools in a total of three rounds for two consecutive days,” Chapovsky said. “Whoever gets to the finals on the second day automatically goes to sectionals a few weeks later.”
Several members of the OPHS girls tennis team placed at the individual CIFs. In singles, Guram won, and in doubles, sophomore Grace Hu and freshman Melody Tu placed second and Chapovsky and sophomore Keira Ayivi placed third. As the team prepares for team playoffs, seniors reflect on the challenges ahead and their hopes for success.
“I hope that we win the CIFs, and that might be a challenge, but I’m definitely up for it,” Morey said. “We would make it farther [in the playoffs] each year, but fall short of making finals. I hope we can go farther this year.”
As the season winds down, seniors enter the final weeks of their high school tennis careers. On Thursday, Oct. 23, the OPHS girls tennis team hosted a senior night to honor them for their years of dedication to the program.
“Everything from the posters to the gifts to the food was amazing,” Chapovsky said. “The entire day was so incredibly planned out and I could not ask for anything more thoughtful and beautiful than what my team did that night.”
Some seniors on the team feel bittersweet with the tennis season coming to a close.
“The people I have met through tennis have become some of my closest friends and we have made so many good memories together both on and off the court,” Guram said. “I’ll miss our bus rides, team dinners and cheering each other on during practices and matches.”
Before entering the CIF playoffs, seniors acknowledge the people who made their time on the girls tennis team memorable.
“I am so thankful for my coaches, my family, and my teammates who have supported me throughout my tennis journey,” Guram said. “I would not be where I am without them. I am sad to say goodbye to this team that has shaped my life for the last four years, but I am excited to see where we will all go from here.”
Your donation will support the student journalists of Oak Park High School - CA. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.
