Marauders down Tigers 5-3

The match was in the bag for Monache High School’s girls tennis team with two out of three of the Marauders’ doubles teams winning beating Delano in Monday’s East Yosemite League match at home.

But with the sun already down and the moon left as nearly the only lighting for the No. 1 doubles match, the final doubles match was called for darkness with the Marauders (1-0 EYL) ahead 5-3. Since Monache picked up the necessary five wins, they were awarded the victory without needing to make up the No. 1 match.

Monache entered Monday’s doubles sets tied at 3-all with Delano after picking up wins from No. 1 Maddie Giannetto (6-0, 6-1), No. 5 Tanya Perez (6-0, 6-3) and No. 6 Reynah Leal (6-0, 6-1). Monache almost picked up another win in the No. 2 singles match when Abigail Sotelo came back from losing her first set 6-3 to win 6-4 in the second set. Unfortunately, Sotelo lost the tiebreaker 10-8.

In doubles, No. 3 Victoria Lambarena and Valeria Ibarra defeated their Tigers opponents 8-4 while Giannetto and Micky Brown followed the duo’s victory up with an 8-4 win of their own. Playing in the No. 1 doubles match, Sotelo and Jenessa Lathrop came back from a 7-5 deficit to tie the match at 7-all.

“Feels good to have a match completed,” MHS head coach Gary Perez said. Monache has played two other EYL matches against Tulare Union and Mission Oak this season but both were called early due to darkness and have to be made up. The Marauders will make up the matches against Tulare Union today.

Last season Monache won their second-straight EYL title but with only Giannetto returning to the varsity squad, the Marauders are a completely different team.

“It’s been really, I won’t say tough, but it’s been a lot of work,” Perez said. “The girls have been working hard. It’s the inexperience at this level that’s catching us. It isn’t their strokes but it’s that confidence you get from having been there before. You know we lost No. 2 through No. 7 this past year so we’re really only returning one true varsity player and that’s the reason for our struggles.”

Helping the team along this season has been Giannetto, a senior and reining EYL singles champion. The four-year varsity player, has continued to improve while shouldering the responsibilities of being the most experienced player on the team.

“The last couple of weeks she's really starting to play much better and more consistent tennis, playing to the level that she should be playing,” Perez said. “And it's helped. She's our team leader and if she's doing well it helps to pick the other girls up too I think.”

Monache's next EYL match is on Wednesday at Tulare Western.