Bulldog girls open league tennis with two wins
By Bill Tamburrino
Ramona High’s girls tennis team had a busy week as it opened Valley League action with victories over Oceanside and Valley Center and lost a close non-league match to Granite Hills High School.
The Lady Dawgs beat Oceanside 18-0 at Riviera Oaks. Coach Matt McCormick was impressed with the play of Hanna Kent (1-6, 6-2 and 6-0).
“Hanna won two of her three sets in her varsity debut,” he said.
McCormick also lauded the play of his No. 2 singles player: “Megan Douglass (7-6, 6-0 and 6-1) dominated her opponents and took out Oceanside’s No. 1 player in a tie breaker.”
Ramona’s No. 1 singles and doubles players had no trouble against the Pirates. Jessica Failla went 6-0 in all three sets as did Lauren Dunker and Rebecca Vaca.
“Cassidy Owens and Danielle Vizcarra (6-1, 6-0 and 6-0) played incredibly well and won 18 of 19 games in three sets,” said the coach.
McCormick also lauded the play of Caroline Lopresti and Alyssa Virgilio who went 6-1, 6-2 and 6-1.
Ramona won its second Valley League match by beating Valley Center 13-5 at home. The Bulldog girls team took 6 of 9 singles points. Failla (6-0, 6-0 and 6-0) and Douglass (6-1, 6-0 and 6-2) routed all three of their opponents.
“Hanna (Kent) continued to gain varsity experience playing strong against all of her opponents,” said McCormick.
Ramona took 7 of 9 doubles points. Dunker and Vaca (6-3, 6-0 and 6-0) and Owens and Vizcarra (6-1, 6-4 and 6-1) swept the competition. Virgilio and Lopresti (2-6, 3-6 and 6-1) “added an important team point and played tough against all three teams,” said McCormick.
Ramona lost to Granite Hills 8-10 on the road in a non-league match.
“It was a close match and we almost pulled it out in the third rotation. We were just four games from a victory against a tough CIF playoff caliber Division I school,” he said.
The coach had praise for the play of his No. 1 player: “Jessica Failla took apart each of her opponents’ games in a display of complete and total dominance. She put on a show of her strength, versatility and intelligence on the court. She will be a strong contender in the CIF individual championships.”
Failla has not lost a set since joining the team. She enrolled at Ramona High School this year and recently verbally committed to play for University of Southern California which offered her a tennis scholarship. Failla would start in fall 2015. She had considered several schools, including UCLA, but after meeting the Trojan’s athletic director, Pat Haden, Failla was convinced that USC was the perfect fit.