Dolphins Doubled Up by Mira Costa

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

As deep as the Palisades High girls varsity tennis team is, it ran into one even deeper last Tuesday in Manhattan Beach.

Knowing the opposition’s singles lineup was formidable, Pali High Coach Bud Kling put most of his best players in doubles, but the Mustangs still took six of nine doubles points in the round robin format on their way to a 12-6 intersectional victory.

“Top to bottom, this is one of the strongest teams we’ve had,” Mira Costa Coach Joe Ciasulli admitted. “We’ve had better players at the top but this group goes 10 or 11 deep.”

Setting the tone was the first-round matchup at No. 1 doubles, where the Dolphins’ duo of Caroline Vincent and Calypso Peraticos led 4-3 and 5-4 before falling to Mira Costa twins Isabella and Katarina Draskovic, 7-5.

Maddy Goore was subbed in for Vincent for the last two rounds, resulting in 6-0 and 6-2 losses.

Morgan Swan and Madeline Prins nearly swept at No. 2 doubles, winning their first two sets 6-4 and 7-5 and losing to the Draskovic sisters 7-4 in a tiebreaker.

“All of their [doubles] teams were very good but had we played that last match first it would’ve been different,” Prins said. “I played [tournaments] with Morgan over the summer so we know each others’ games. This was a good test for us.”

At the No. 3 spot, Abby Schleichkorn paired with Lizzie Belokonnyi and they won their final set 6-4 against Mira Costa’s No. 2 duo.

“Coach Kling has been mixing things up because he wants to see what teams work,” Prins said. “I’ve already played with three different partners.”

In singles, freshmen Ireland Amato, Caroline Goldberg and Sophia Amato each won one of three sets as the Dolphins were dealt their first defeat.

Palisades opened Western League action at home Tuesday against LACES and traveled to Santa Monica for an intersectional match Wednesday.