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Tennis Girls Advance In Section Competition
tennis
Senior Maddy Brewer took care of business in dramatic fashion for Oakdale. Brewer won in three sets to help Oakdale advance to the second round of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division III girls tennis tournament. DENNIS D. CRUZ/THE LEADER

Following a successful Valley Oak League campaign, the Oakdale Lady Mustangs tennis girls earned a spot in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division III tournament. In the opening round Oakdale hosted Patterson on Tuesday, Nov. 1. Like they had during the regular season, Oakdale got a strong performance by all members of the team. Six of Oakdale’s singles won their matches and two of the three doubles teams won to power Oakdale to a 7-2 victory.

Junior Tay Talamantes has yet to lose a match this season, and last Tuesday afternoon was no different. Talamantes defeated Catarina Borges in straight sets 6-0, 6-0.

“I just clear my mind and focus on the match. I really do not have a strategy, I just want to go out and do my best,” Talamantes said of her playoff victory.

Carley Newbill continued the Lady Mustangs momentum as she put away Eze Ogbuli 6-3, 6-2. With an early advantage, Patterson got on the board when Kitzea Gonzales defeated Oakdale’s Danika Brown in a dramatic three match set, 3-6, 6-0, 2-6. Despite the loss, Oakdale did not break as Haley Takaki, Maddy Brewer and Kendall Kiely all won their sets to give Oakdale a commanding 5-1 advantage. Takaki won her match over Ryann Basulto 6-0, 6-3. Brewer took three sets to put away her Patterson opponent 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. Kiely fell 2-6 to Breanna Hernandez in the first set, but bounced back to beat the visitor Hernandez 7-6, 6-2 for the win.

In doubles action, Oakdale fell behind as Taryn Lane and Shannen Yang fell to Clara Perez and Maya Turner 2-6, 1-6. The Lady Mustangs doubles teams regrouped and the tandem of McKenzie Brown and Lijian Bacud took care of business 5-7, 6-2, 10-4 in the tie breaker over Mercedes Perez and Aurora Gonzales. In the final doubles match of the first round playoff, Breanna Morgan and Tayla Barry defeated Manpreet Kaur and Veronica Martinez in three sets. Morgan and Barry won the first set 6-2, however fell 2-6 in the second round. In a dramatic third and final set Oakdale walked away the victors with a 12-10 tie breaker win.

Oakdale was scheduled to clash with River City on the road on Monday, Nov. 7 in the second round. The match took place following sports press time for The Leader. If Oakdale got the win on the road, it would put them into the team section finals Wednesday, Nov. 9 against either Manteca or Los Banos.