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Things didn’t look good for the Menlo School girls’ tennis team, and its lengthy winning streak in league play, when senior Allie Haynes rolled her ankle on Thursday.
With Haynes unable to continue after being helped off the court, Menlo had to forfeit the No. 2 doubles match to visiting Menlo-Atherton.
A short time later, Menlo-Atherton sophomore Marietta Tuionetoa finished off Menlo junior Emily Shine at No. 1 singles, 6-4, 6-0, and M-A senior Marjorie Adams did the same at No. 2 singles against Alicia Cha, posting a 6-2, 6-3 victory.
Suddenly, Menlo found its winning streak in league play — a perfect 140-0 entering the match — in jeopardy. The Knights hadn’t lost in league play since the end of the 1993 season.
“We were down 3-0, but we had won the first sets in the other matches,” said Menlo coach Bill Shine. “So, I wasn’t too concerned.”
Probably for good reason. It wasn’t too long before Menlo had tied the match and won it, 4-3, when the freshman tandem of Stephanie Carlisle and Eliza Adams won at No. 3 doubles, 6-4, 6-2.
With that done, Menlo improved to 5-0 (7-2) and stretched its league winning streak to a remarkable 141-0.
Menlo got back into the match when senior Mimi Huggins posted a 6-3, 6-1 win at No. 4 singles and sophomore Anjali Ranadive won at No. 3 singles, 6-4, 6-2. No sooner had Ranadive won that Menlo’s No. 1 doubles team of Courtney Matteson and Alex Heaney finished off their 7-5, 6-3 triumph over Taylor Wentz and Meg Sharer.
With that done, everyone rushed down to ‘The Cage’ to see how Menlo’s tandem of Carlisle and Adams were faring. They were just walking off the court when their teammates arrived, just in time to celebrate.
For Menlo, there was additional good news. Haynes, who was taken to Sequoia Hospital to have her ankle x-rayed, suffered no fracture. According to Shine, she’ll be out at least 2-3 weeks.
For Menlo-Atherton, it was the Bears’ first loss of the season. M-A is now 4-1 in the Bay Division (5-1 overall). The Bears will host the Knights on Oct. 16 with the regular-season division title likely at stake that day.
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Menlo tennis coach Bill Shine and Menlo-Atherton tennis coach Tom Sorenson show their concern after Menlo’s Allie Haynes (on ground) rolled her ankle during Thursday’s PAL Bay Division tennis match. Photo by Keith Peters/Palo Alto Online. -
Menlo freshman Eliza Adams (right) is congratulated by junior Emily Shine after Adams and partner Stephanie Carlisle won at No. 3 doubles to clinch the Knights’ 4-3 win over Menlo-Atherton on Thursday. Photo by Keith Peters/Palo Alto Online. -
Menlo’s Courtney Matteson (yellow shirt) chats with her teammates after Matteson and doubles partner Alex Heaney helped the Knights pull out a 4-3 PAL Bay Division win over Menlo-Atherton on Thursday. Photo by Keith Peters/Palo Alto Online.
