LODI’S TITLE QUEST ENDS IN FINAL
Flames’ title quest ends with loss to Del Oro in final
ROSEVILLE — No upsets of a top-seeded team this time.
But in the end, there were many hugs and smiles.
Members of the Lodi High girls tennis team remained upbeat as they hugged teammate and No. 3 singles player Benedetta Piotti, who was the last one playing in their SacJoaquin Section Division II playoff match against Del Oro at the Johnson Ranch Racquet Club on Thursday.
Piotti faced Del Oro’s Emma Dobson, in which their match lasted for nearly two hours. There were numerous exchanges at the net, baseline shots and aces from both players, but Dobson pulled through with a 6-1, 7-5 win. So did her Golden Eagles, who posted a 9-0 win over No. 10 Lodi in the championship match.
“It was huge that we even made it here,” said Lodi head coach Shelby Stillwell, who is in her first year running the program. “I think it was advantageous for us to go into the playoffs. We really didn’t have high expectations. It’s a beautiful thing to see such a strong team play with such grace and humility. Their great sportsmanship has really stood out to our opponents. The progress they have made is well-deserved.”
This was the 10th time Lodi has played for a section team title. Lodi’s most recent success was three consecutive crowns from 2000 to 2002. The first of six section crowns — all in Division I — was in 1988.
Another match that was lengthy, but still had Del Oro posting a straight-set victory, was the No. 2 battle between Lodi’s Julia Butaev and the Golden Eagles’ Abby Edwards.
Playing on the court next to the Piotti-Dobson match, Butaev and Edwards lasted nearly 90 minutes. The first set ended in a 6-6 tie, which led to playing a tie-break system. Edwards prevailed with an 8-6 win. She clinched the victory with a 6-3 win the second set.
Piotti and Butaev are both juniors, but this is the only year that they will be playing for the Flames as they are foreign exchange students. Piotti is from
Italy an Butaev from Germany.
“Benedetta and Julia were such an asset to our team this year,” Stillwell said. “Their tennis games are phenomenal. More so, their desire and ability to adapt to a new team in a new country was quite impressive.
Lodi’s No. 4 singles player, Anna Spaletta, faced Del Oro’s Sofia Fusaino and battled for two sets before Fusaino posted a 7-5, 6-1 win. Another match that lasted more than an hour was Lodi’s No. 5 player in Mary Barnes taking on Ari Brooman, who pulled out a 6-2, 6-2 win.
Other singles matches for Lodi was No. 1 player in Johnna Schroeder, only a junior, as she faced Ali Isaac, who notched a 6-1, 6-1 win. Lodi’s No. 6 player in CeCe Chinchiolo watched Elaine Hanson post a 6-1, 7-6 win.
In the doubles matches, Lodi’s No. 1 team of Meredith Peck-Liz Spaletta fell to Madi Perry-Kylie Lunders 6-1, 6-2. The Flames’ No. 2 team of Clair Plath and Ally Clayworth lost 6-0, 6-0 and the No. 3 team of Victoria Eaton and Larisa Johnston fell to the Golden Eagles’ Gianna Domeny and Abby Brust 6-1, 6-0.
Lodi reached Thursday’s final with victories over No. 2 Vista del Lago, No. 3 Ponderosa and No. 7 Stagg. Stillwell is pleased with the fact that Lodi played for a section team title. Now moving forward without Piotti, Butaev and the graduating seniors, Stillwell feels confident about returning players and underclassmen looking to break into the lineup for the 2020 season.
“They are all determined to continue playing throughout the offseason,” Stillwell said. “That’s definitely going to help us out for next year.”