Ram’s women’s tennis advance 2-0 in Nor-Cali Conference, defeat Cañada 5-4
By Peter J. Suter
suterjpeter@gmail.com
WOMEN’S TENNIS
The City College women’s tennis team square off with conference rival Cañada at home on Feb. 16 in a tight 5-4 victory.
It was the Rams second half of the roster that stepped up to ultimately get enough game match points for the close win.
The Rams No. 1 ranked doubles and singles player sophomore Zee Aynaci had an off day on the court, as she fell in both rounds in a hard fought battle against Cañada’s top ranked player.
Though Aynaci has been a pivotal leader in the rams 3-2 overall and 2- 0 conference start.
After doubles play the Rams had gained a crucial 2-1 lead over the Colts.
Then the top six tiered players paired up, for what would be a thrilling 3-3 singles team effort to hold the lead.
In singles No. 2 ranked match, Cañada’s Juli Longato who took on City College’s sophomore Yvonne Ng for an exhilarating tug-of-war between the two evenly match players. Ng pulled Logato into deep waters, forcing the match into two tiebreakers, though valiantly Ng lost.
“Very close match, I’m happy with her effort. A match like that it comes down to a difference of maybe 4-5 points,” Head Coach Kelly Hickey said.
Midway through Ng’s singles match the Rams had solidified a team win after freshman Aliza Sunderberg defeated Cañada’s Vanessa To.
After her long grueling match Sunderberg said “that was probably the hardest game I’ve ever played.”
The Ram’s Sunderberg and doubles partner Abigail Campos also won their match versus the Colt’s Faamann Noa and Vanessa To, Campos won her singles match as well.
“I feel like, as a team we are progressing right where we should be. A 2-0 conference start against Foothill and Cañada is huge because they’re normally powerhouses in our conference,” HeadCoach Hickey said.
The City College women’s tennis team hadn’t beaten Foothill college in over eight years, until last week Feb. 13, where Coach Hickey now gets bragging rights over sister and Foothills Coach Laura Hickey.
The Ram’s next game is Tuesday Feb. 20 at Cabrillo College and next home game, played at the tennis courts at the furthest east end of campus past the George M. Rush football stadium, on Feb. 23 against De Anza College beginning at 2 p.m.
