On a team loaded with talent, Abby Schleichkorn wasn’t sure when her chance to play No. 1 might come, she just wanted to be ready when it did.
Her opportunity came sooner than expected and the Palisades High sophomore made the most of it, beating Denisha Selma of Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies, 8-3, at No. 1 singles to lead the Dolphins’ girls tennis team to a 7-0 triumph in last Thursday’s Western League opener.
Photo: Steve Galluzzo
“When I saw I was posted for No. 1 I was excited,” said Schleichkorn, who played No. 4 singles as a freshman last year. “What makes our coach amazing is that he gives us all a chance and we get our chance, we take it and run with it.”
His team besieged with injuries, Pali High coach Sean Passan was forced to cancel the Dolphins’ intersectional match against Beverly Hills the week before, making Thursday’s contest at LACES the first official match of the season.
“I’m very proud of Abby because the girl she played has given us fits the last couple years,” Passan said. “She’s hard to play, but Abby picked her spots and knew when to be aggressive.”
Morgan Swan won 8-0 at No. 2 singles, Huntington Beach transfer Ally Williams won 8-0 at No. 3 and Selin Sindel won in a walkover at No. 4 singles.
Madeline Prins and Lizzie Belokonnyi won 8-1 at No. 1 doubles, Lauren Neman and Alex Hart won 8-3 at No. 2 and Gabby Cheldin and Taylor Barfield won 8-2 at No. 3 doubles.
“We’ve all worked extremely hard over the summer and our chemistry is a lot better than last year,” said Schleichkorn, who lives in the Alphabet Streets. “Tuesday at practice we were pumping each other up. I love my team.”
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