Bishop Diego again benefitted from dominant doubles play, winning eight of nine doubles set on the way to an 11-7 Frontier League win Thursday at Dunn.
From there, singles players Sam Kenney, Haley Hubbs and Elisha McCullough pulled out a set apiece to seal the team win.
The Cardinals doubles team of Anja Faasbind and Cecily Puech stayed unbeaten in league play at 12-0, dropping only game in three sets. Lauren Weeks and Galallea de La Cruz also swept three sets 6-0,6-2,6-0.
Unlike the league opener last month against Dunn, won 16-2 by the Cardinals, the Earwigs were at full strength this time, making for a tighter match.
“We were only up 7-5 going into the third round, so there was a certain pressure we haven’t felt before to close things out,” Bishop Diego coach Pete Kirkwood said. “I was proud of the way we were able to do so.
“You can see the confidence level rising each match. The expectation of winning is starting to be a habit.”
For the top two doubles teams, “Anja and Cecily are really clicking right now. Anja is becoming extremely aggressive at the net and they are both hitting huge forehands.
“Galallea and Lauren both have big serves and move really well. They are crafty and find the open spots on the court very instinctively.”
The Cardinals are now 4-1 in league play, and face undefeated Villanova for a rematch in Ojai next Tuesday, and then face St. Bonaventure at the Santa Barbara Municipal Courts on Thursday, October 20, for Senior Day.
Villanova beat Bishop 16-2 in the first meeting.
“We’ve been working on hitting with more pace, now we will see if we can handle pace because Villanova plays an echelon above the rest of the conference,” Kirkwood said.
“We didn’t have the three doubles teams we have now, and we actually were two points from taking four sets in singles last time.
“Our goal is to make them earn the title.”
Santa Ynez 9, Righetti 0
The Santa Ynez girls blanked Righetti 9-0 in a Mountain League contest in Santa Maria Thursday.
The Pirates’ No. 1 singles player Emma Sell beat Righetti’s Ella Wildhagen 6-4, 6-0, and No. 2 Keegan Withrow prevailed 6-1, 6-2 over the Warriors’ Sophia Lauel.
The No. 1 doubles team of Nat O’Shaughnessy and Morea Naretto beat Ella and Keira Wildhagen, 8-5.