Pali High Tennis Nets Triple Double

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

It was another first for Palisades High’s tennis program last week at Balboa Sports Center in Enciino. The Dolphins’ boys and girls squads completed triple crowns on the same day, sweeping the City team, singles and doubles titles.

Having regained the team title from Granada Hills two weeks earlier, the girls added the singles title when junior Iris Berman beat Eva Marcus-Newberger of El Camino Real, 6-0, 6-1 at the PTC. Berman did not drop a set in Individuals.

“I’d never played her before but heard she’s powerful so I used my heavy ball and slice to combat her power,” said Berman, whose dad Evan played at Venice High, then at the University of Illinois. “The toughest part this year was having less practice time and the shorter season. We didn’t have as many matches as we normally do, but everyone pulled through.”   

In the doubles final Noe Winter and childhood friend Halsey Hulse capped off their high school careers by upsetting No. 1-seeded Mikayla Kane and Anisa Londhe of Granada Hills, 6-1, 6-4. Winter and Hulse were teammates at Marquez Elementary and Paul Revere.

“We were trying to poach and not let the points get too long,” said Hulse, who will attend Cornell in the fall after working with Winter at St. Matthew’s Summer Camp.

“I played one of them in the team finals and knew she likes to lob,” said Winter, who will join her sister at the University of Texas. 

Jex Frankel blanked Granada Hills’ Rocco Melendez 6-0, 6-0 in the boys singles final.

“I beat him in the team finals too but you never know what can happen in a match,” Frankel said.

The last jewel came in doubles as Luke Shuman and Noah Zaret, ousted Granada Hills’ David Tinajero and Dylan Brown, 7-6 (7), 6-3.    

“Our games meshed well, we took it point by point and we’ll try to defend next year,” Zaret said.