Racquet Repeat

Dolphins Defeat Granada Hills 6-1 for Second Straight City Tennis Title

In the huddle before last Friday’s City Section Division I final against Granada Hills, Palisades High girls tennis coach Sean Passan told his players: “They’re just another City team.”

Then, the Dolphins took to the courts and proved it. The long-anticipated rematch between the City’s top two programs proved anticlimactic as Palisades captured its second straight section title − and record 22nd overall − with a 6-1 victory at Balboa Sports Center in Encino.

Senior Diana Silvers got the Dolphins off to a quick start, winning 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2 singles, sophomore Abby Schleichkorn followed suit with a 6-1, 6-1 victory at No. 4 singles and junior co-captains Lizzie Belokonnyi and Maddy Prins prevailed 6-1, 6-2 at No. 1 doubles to move Palisades within one point of the title in the best-of-seven, two out of three sets format.

“This one is better because I won my match so I feel like I contributed,” said Silvers, who lost to the Highlanders’ Sarah Nuno in last year’s team final, which Palisades won 5-2. “Also, I was able to get off the court first so I could cheer for everyone else.”

The celebrating began when seniors Jesse Zand and Izzy Guterson finished off a 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 3 doubles − making the score 4-0 and the outcome academic.

“I had no idea we were the clinching point,” said co-captain Guterson, who persevered despite back and leg spasms. “Coach told us all to just worry about your one court because when you know what the score is you can get really nervous. Jesse is a great partner because she’s a really good player and she keeps my intensity up.”

The victory was extra special for Zand, who quit the team after her junior year but rejoined it one month into the season and earned the clinching point for the second   straight time.

“This means the world to me − it’s exactly how I wanted to end my senior season,” said Zand, who played through a painful back  injury last fall and swept at No. 4 singles in the final. “After joining late, with everything that’s happened, it’s all worth it. This one’s sweeter because of where I’m at in my life. Last year I wasn’t able to enjoy it as much.”

After prevailing in a first-set tiebreaker 7-5, the No. 2 doubles duo of Morgan Swan and Ally Williams took the second set 6-3 and just a few minutes later freshman Caroline Vincent wrapped up a 6-1, 6-0 victory at the No. 3 singles spot.

Having secured back-to-back titles, the Dolphins offered their support to senior Ilana Oleynik, who was trying to hand Highlanders top player Sarah Nuno her first loss in City competition. Oleynik led Malibu to the Southern Section semifinals three years in a row but transferred to Palisades in hopes of finally winning a CIF title. She rallied from a 3-0 deficit to take the first set 6-4, but Nuno rallied to win the last two sets 6-2, 6-1 to earn Granada Hills’ only point.

“Even though I lost, the team won and that’s what we came here to do,” said Oleynik, a Highlands resident. “Coming to Palisades is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I never had a chance to win a high school championship and that’s all I wanted this year.”

In a surprising move, Granada Hills Coach Simon Robertshaw put No. 2 singles player Risa Fukushige at No. 1 doubles with Cassidy Pedraza, but Belokonnyi and Prins were unphased.

“It set us off guard at first when we saw their lineup, but once the match started we didn’t let it get to us,” Prins said. “All the practice we put in and the USTA tournaments we’ve played have made us mentally tougher.”

Prins and Belokonnyi played with different partners last year (Prins with Julie Takakjian and Belokonnyi with Katie Vincent, who both graduated in the spring) but joined forces to go undefeated in the City this season.

“Last year’s partners meant a lot to us and we miss them, but this feels good without a doubt,” Belokonnyi said. “Tennis is a mental game and you could feel the tension when we got here, but we knew we were the better team.”

Blessed with his deepest squad yet, Passan used different lineups for each of the Dolphins’ three playoff matches and each yielded the same result: a 6-1 triumph.

“Not only are we the best team in the City, I think we’re the second best team too,” Passan said. “We had so many injuries throughout the season but one thing that did is give our younger players more opportunities to play. We’re not just focused on winning this year, but also building for the future.”

Passan crafted this year’s team not to win the City title — the Dolphins have been there and done that − but rather for the Southern California Regionals.

The Dolphins (14-2) hosted Southern Section Division 2 semifinalist Laguna Beach (20-5) in the opening round Tuesday at the Palisades Tennis Center and lost 4-3 despite singles wins by Vincent at (6-0, 6-0) and Schleichkorn at (6-3, 6-2).

At No. 1 doubles, Prins and Belokonnyi rallied to beat the Breakers’ duo of Ashley Shelton and Madeline Loomis, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.

“We got the lineup we wanted and we really wanted to win a round in regionals because we’ve never done that, but it was still a great season,” Passan said.

The City Individual tournament starts Dec. 2 and consists of a 32-player singles and 32-team doubles draw.