Edgar Melik-Stepanyan
The Hoover High's Lynn Santamaria is exhausted and dry. In nine years
as the head coach, Santamaria has never made it to the playoffs.
She looked at the contest against Pasadena Poly High as the first
successful step to making it to the postseason. The initial step will
have to wait a little more.
The Panthers defeated the Tornadoes 131/2 to 4 1/2 Friday at Pasadena
City College in the girls' tennis opener.
'I'm tried and dry of not making it to the playoffs. I want my team to
get a little wet in the playoffs,' said Santamaria. 'We need to be more
aggressive in doubles, less tentative and cut down on unforced errors.'
Pasadena Poly won 10 of the first 12 sets to clinch early victory. No.
1 doubles team Adele Bergstrom and Molly Easterlin set the tone early
winning their sets 6-2, 6-1, 6-0.
The Panthers will be looking for their 10th straight title in the Prep
League.
'This win for us sets the tone for the rest of the season. Molly and I
are pretty aggressive and consistent,' said Bergstrom.
The Tornadoes weren't able to accomplish much in doubles play. They
lost the first seven sets as Hoover's Jenny Cho and Myung Shin put them
out of their misery as the duo defeated Danielle Whitten and Nora Waluch
6-4.
The main highlights for Hoover were No.1 and No. 2 singles players
Alisa Nadjaryan and Amy Wever. They won 3 1/2 out of the 4 sets the
Hoover team won.
