Ramona High tennis team wins first round of playoffs, loses quarterfinals

By Bill Tamburrino

How good is the Palomar League in tennis? The entire league received berths to the CIF playoffs and the entire league won in the first round.

Four of the six won in the second round (Westview knocked off Poway) to make it to the semifinals. In the semis, Torrey Pines and Rancho Bernardo tied and Torrey advanced on a tie-breaker to the finals.

In the opening round, Ramona beat Olympian High School 11-7 and did so without its usual number one singles player, Dayna Lake. Lake injured her ankle last week and was unable to compete.

The doubles teams paced the win as they earned 8 team points. The number one doubles duo, Savannah Goodson and Rachel Vaca, won three sets with scores of 6-2, 6-1 and 6-1.

Hannah Kramer and Dallas had their best match of the season. They started off with a marathon 7-5 game and then registered scores of 6-4 and 6-1.

“It was great to get back on the winning track. It has been a while since we won,” said Kramer.

The duo of Rebecca Vaca and Lauren Dunker won 2 team points by going 2-6, 6-3 and 6-2.

In singles play, Taylor Romero picked up 1 point as she went 0-6, 4-6 and then rallied to post a 6-0. Ellen Douglas also won one set with scores of 1-6, 1-6 and 6-3. Kelly Gallagher came through with a team point with scores of 0-6, 0-6 and 6-2.

Coach Doug Failla tries to get as many athletes playing time during the regular season and that paid off as players asked to step in for the injured Lake and came through with valuable team points.

The ladies from the Valley of the Sun lost to Serra in the quarterfinals 14-4. Lake played two sets but was not at full strength and she went 6-1 and 0-6. Romero won one set by posting scores of 1-6, 6-2 and 3-6. Gallagher won a team point by posting a 6-2. Douglas went 0-6, 1-6 and 1-6.

In doubles play, Goodson and Rachel Vaca went 6-3, 0-6 and 1-6. Kramer and Forbes registered scores of 2-6, 1-6 and 3-6. Rebecca Vaca and Dunker turned in scores of 1-6, 4-6 and 3-6.

Tennis matches are run well. Sportsmanship is paramount in the entire match. The match starts off with every player on both teams being introduced and shaking hands with her first opponent of the day. The goodwill continues during the match and the players end every set with a gesture of sportsmanship.

The goodwill does not impair the level of intensity during the competition. The matches are fiercely contested, especially in the Palomar League. And as could be seen by the results in the first round of the playoffs, that intensity continues until the end of the season.