The Paly girls’ tennis team started the season with three wins over Menlo-Atherton, Los Altos, and Saratoga, and one loss to Mills. The vikes began league play on September 16 when they beat Los Altos 5-2, and they continued their winning streak with a 4-3 victory over Saratoga.

Number one singles player, senior Kate Cooper, won in two sets, 6-3, 6-4. Cooper played doubles last year, and this year she has stepped up to defend the toughest position. Chrissy Hu, a freshman, is number two singles, and she also won her match and in a total sweep, 6-0, 6-0. Hu shows great potential for this year, and will prove to be an asset to the team in coming years. Number three singles senior Elizabeth Whyte won her match 6-2, 6-4.

However, Paula Toffe, number four singles, lost her match in two very close sets, 4-6, 5-7. Austin Freeman, a junior, usually plays in one of the singles positions, but she was out for soccer.
For doubles, senior Jossy Tseng plays number one with sophomore Nicole Przybyla. They won their match 6-1, 6-4. Last year Tseng and graduate Dory Ganes were an undefeated doubles team. Tseng hopes to achieve the same record this year.

Number two doubles, Katherine Rotow, senior, and Meghan Pryzybyla, sophomore were able to also pull out a two set win, 6-4, 6-3. Finally, number three doubles, Allison Heinrich, sophomore, and Annie Hung, senior, lost in a tie breaker, 2-6, 7-6, 3-10. After losing a tough first set, the girls were able to come back and win the second. However, they were not able to pull out the tie breaker.

During the Los Altos match, the team demonstrated its strength a loss of seven players from last years varsity team. However, the girls now have to play Monta Vista in the SCVAL De Anza Division this season. Former girls junior varsity coach and current boys varsity coach, Andy Harader, has stepped up to replace Laura Belardinelli, former girl’s varsity coach. Last year, the girls varsity team finished 16-4 and made it all the way to CCS quarter finals, and have confidence they can make it that far again."We were so close last year. This year we are going all the way!" said Tseng. 

The junior varsity team acquired new coach Linh Nguyen, who graduated from Menlo High School two years ago.