Cate girls tennis went 2-1 on the weekend to finish in third place in the Santa Barbara Invitational on Saturday.
The Rams fell to Monta Vista High in the semifinals before bouncing back with a 6-0 win over Rancho Bernardo in the third-place match.
“This tournament was a critical step forward for us as a team with championship aspirations,” Cate head coach Trevor Thorpe said. “The teams we played today have a lot of players of the variety we’re likely to face in CIF later this season, and the girls did not shy away from the competition.”
The lone Cate win in the loss to Monta Vista came on a doubles victory courtesy of Claire Bianchi and Claire Tang, 6-2, 6-7, 10-8.
In the victory over Rancho Bernardo later in the day, Jade Wang and Reyna Takahashi took care of business with impressive wins in singles play.
Meanwhile, Ivy Huang/Lisa Hasebe, Chelsea Newlove/Elly Edwards and Tang/Elsie Chamberlain won their doubles matches to secure the overall win.
“The way we competed against top teams leveled up our competence and our confidence as a team, and everyone seemed to really enjoy the experience,” Thorpe said.
San Marcos
The Royals took fifth place in the fourth annual Santa Barbara Invitational this weekend.
San Marcos picked up wins over Arroyo Grande and San Dieguito Academy before falling to Rancho Bernardo.
The duo of Kate Selby and Tate Jaeger came away with a victory over a solid San Dieguito pairing.
“Both girls are talented at singles and doubles, so having tournaments like this where we can allow them flexibility to play either is ideal,” San Marcos head coach Emily Carver said of Selby and Jaeger.
Meanwhile, Jacqui Wilson/Elana Rowan earned a win against San Dieguito, and Mya Shenoda/Stella Mast came from behind for a win against Arroyo Grande.
In singles, Shenoda picked up a victory and Paia Lowry secured a tiebreaking win against San Dieguito.
The Royals will be on the road against Ventura on Tuesday.