By: Kayla Mitchell
Public Relations Manager
The Los Gatos girls’ tennis team ended its season with an impressive run in the CCS Championship. The varsity team entered the final tournament of the year with an undefeated 13-0 record and the competition’s third-seeded standing. Taking second place in CCS, the LGHS team finished its outstanding season with a solid run.
Since the beginning of the fall tennis season, coach Justin Stenger had big goals for the team. The ultimate goal of the season was to qualify for the CCS tournament with a winning record and make it past their quarterfinal run the previous year. The girls’ success this season surpassed all expectations, with a near-perfect record and results far exceeding those of recent years. Reflecting on the team’s domination, Stenger commented, “Since the beginning of the year, I told this team to take the season one match at a time until we could achieve our goals of making an impact in the CCS draw. Everyone put in the work, and together as a team, we did it.” All the hours the team spent on court throughout the season prepared the girls for their final performance in the CCS tournament.
In the first round of CCS, Los Gatos faced Leigh High School and secured an impressive win 5-2. A strong performance by sophomore Tuleen Ikkawi in two singles helped ensure the match for the varsity team. The quarterfinals featured a difficult matchup against Sacred Heart Preparatory School, but impressive wins throughout the entire Los Gatos lineup resulted in an overall score of 5-2. Another tough opponent, Monta Vista High School, a formidable team holding the number four seed in the tournament, put up a gritty fight in the semifinal round. With crucial wins from the number three singles line, senior Valeriya Murincheva, and the third doubles line with senior Riya Rama and sophomore Siyona Rama, LGHS clinched the victory for the Los Gatos team. In her first singles match of the season, Murincheva defeated a talented player on the Monta Vista team, contributing to the overall 5-2 score. With rain delaying the finals for multiple days, anticipation grew before the final matchup, where Los Gatos faced the reigning CCS champions, Los Altos High School. The LG varsity girls lost the match 2-5 but competed fiercely and forced the Los Altos team to fight hard to defend their title.
The girls’ impressive showing in CCS qualified them for the state tournament. The team traveled to Folsom for a chance to compete against top teams throughout California. In their first round, LG faced Mountain House High School winning the match 5-2. Later that day held a matchup against University High School in which the girls lost a tough battle 1-6. With the completion of CCS and the state championship, the match was the last of the 2025 tennis season. The team surpassed all their goals this year and is ending their time together with a banquet to celebrate their accomplishments.