by Madeleine Nguyen (’26)| November 17, 2023

After a long summer away from Lancer athletics, students view the fall sports season as one that sets the precedent for the rest of the year’s teams and games. Since the start of their season this year, the Women’s Varsity Tennis team hasn’t disappointed the Lancer community. Their season this year has been full of nerve-wracking and thrilling matches.

Last year, the team held an undefeated record of 10-0 within the West Coast Athletic League (WCAL) and an impressive overall season record of 12-4, earning the title of WCAL champions. However, the season came to an unfortunate end when they came up short with a 3-4 loss against Monta Vista in the Central Coast Section (CCS) quarterfinals. This year’s coach Beth Osborne, a UCLA alumna, together with an accomplished team, promised a successful season. 

The team’s pre-season had a shaky start as they took a close 3-4 loss in their first match against Los Altos High School. Nevertheless, just one short week later, the team was able to secure a solid 5-2 win against Los Gatos High School. Following that match came one of the most important moments of their season: their first tournament, the Golden Gate Classic. The team started their run with a 5-2 win against Henry Gunn High School and a 4-3 win against Campolindo High School. They then fell short in the last few matches of the tournament, with losses against Westlake High School 0-7, Monta Vista High School 1-6, and Burlingame High School 0-7. Succeeding the events of the tournament, the team took another 3-4 loss against Sacred Heart Prep High School.

But these losses were short-lived, as the team recuperated and began to accelerate their success with the start of WCAL. During their first WCAL match, the team took a fierce 7-0 win against Presentation. The team then utilized their newfound momentum to catapult themselves into an almost perfect record of 9-1. A memorable moment was the annual senior night where, in addition to celebrating the six graduating seniors on the team, the Lancers were able to secure a 4-3 victory against Valley Christian–the true definition of a “nail-biter.”

With only a close 3-4 loss to Saint Ignatius, which was their second-to-last match of league play, the team’s WCAL run was truly remarkable. As a result, the team was deemed WCAL co-champion alongside Saint Ignatius. 

In addition to their victory in the WCAL, the team also moved on to play in the CCS Playoffs. Being seeded sixth in the whole tournament, the Lancers secured a position in the second round. In order to advance into the quarterfinals, the team had to beat Menlo-Atherton, who knocked out Homestead with a close 4-3 win in the first round. To no surprise, the team breezed by with a strong 6-1 victory, clinching a spot in the CCS Quarterfinals. Unfortunately, the season soon ended when they lost in a tight battle against Menlo School with a final score of 3-4. 

Though this may be the end of the road for the Saint Francis Women’s Varsity Tennis team this year, another season of more victories, learning experiences, and fun memories awaits next year.