Bishop Diego’s girls tennis team lost a heartbreaker in the wild-card round of the CIF-SS Divison 5 playoffs, falling to Hueneme on total games after the teams tied 9-9 in sets.
The Cardinals got third-round tiebreaker wins from the doubles teams of Anja Fassbind/Cecily Puech and Galilea De La Cruz/Lauren Weeks to rally from a 9-7 deficit and tie the match. But the Vikings prevailed on overall game wins, 87-76.
“We knew we needed 10 (sets) because we were behind in games going into the third round and were fully aware we hadn’t done enough to close that gap,” said Bishop coach Peter Kirkwood. “I’m proud of the improvement we made this season. Not only in tennis but in commitment, work ethic and responsibility.”
Sam Kenney went 3-0 at No. 1 singles to lead the Cardinals. Fassbind/Puech and De La Cruz/Weeks each went 2-1 in doubles
“It’s a heartbreaking way to finish an otherwise fantastic season,” said Kirkwood. “We accomplished our main goals of raising the bar for the tennis program and establishing a presence amongst the other great teams here. We finished 5-2 in league and made the CIF playoffs for the first time in quite awhile. The Cardinals will walk away with their heads held high.”