The Carlmont girls varsity tennis team dominated Burlingame High School in a critical match to obtain a spot in the Central Coast Sectionals (CCS), winning 3-1 on Oct. 28.
The CCS playoffs will allow the team to distinguish themselves against 152 other teams in the central coast region. Walking onto the court, some Carlmont players feared not earning a spot in the tournament after a season of hard work, and their nerves spiked.
I lost my match, and I lost last time against Burlingame, but I still played really well. I’m inspired by my teammates because even though I lost, I can rely on them, and I have trust in them to play their best and do well.
— Victoria Gittoes, senior
“At first, I was pretty nervous, but then she [Chloe’s opponent] got in her own head a little bit, and then I started playing a lot better,” freshman Chloe Khachadourian said.
To play their best game, Carlmont girls needed to calm down and follow through on their swing when they hit the ball. However, once Carlmont caught onto Burlingame’s plays, they could read the game and outsmart the Panthers.
“[The Burlingame Panthers were] a little short of Carlmont’s team. It’s been a good season, but we’ve been too short three times,” said Burlingame girls tennis team head coach Bill Smith.
Senior Carlmont player Anjali Mehta stated that the Panthers played stronger when they were close to the net. However, Mehta and her doubles partner, Mallika Agrawal, a junior, could win by focusing on the court and not letting mistakes or the opponent get in their heads.
“There were a lot of Burlingame coaches walking around us, but we didn’t let them get to us. We went into the second set with a fresh mindset, and we know what to expect and how to play,” Mehta said.
Although Carlmont girls tennis head coach Margaret Goldsmith thought the Scots were playing well, to be successful in CCS, she believes they have to rely on what they already have. Sometimes the team wants to add something extra into their matches, like a complex return or new tactic, but to win, they need to play the same way they’ve been playing the whole season.
The Scots anticipate their next match on Nov. 3.
