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Bill Shine has pretty much done it all and seen it all during his 13 years as the head coach of the Menlo School girls’ tennis team. He has won seven Central Coast Section titles, 13 consecutive league titles and 321 matches (against 45 losses). This season, however, marks something different in his career.
For the first time ever, Shine has freshmen at the No. 1 and 2 positions. That would be Giannina Ong and Saga Shermis.
“I’ve never had two freshmen at 1 and 2, ever,” Shine said Tuesday while watching his team open the season with a 6-1 nonleague triumph over visiting Menlo-Atherton.
The top two singles positions usually are reserved for veteran players, most likely seniors or juniors. While senior Anjali Ranadive didn’t play against the Bears, she’ll have to battle the freshmen in order to take over one of the top two spots.
Shine, however, was quite pleased with how Ong and Shermis comported themselves in their high school debuts. Ong did drop a 6-3, 6-0 decision at No. 1 to Marietta Tuionetoa, but that was expected. Tuionetoa is a senior, a four-year starter and the defending PAL Bay Division champ. She also happens to be one of the best players in the CCS.
Shermis, meanwhile, produced a solid 6-3, 6-4 victory over M-A veteran Paige Keating at No. 2.
“I was really pleased with Saga Shermis,” Shine said. “I think she handled the first nerves and her first high school match very well.”
Shine also got victories from Alex Heaney at No. 3 (6-3, 6-1) and Eliza Adams at No. 4 singles (6-2, 6-2). Menlo swept the doubles, with the No. 1 team of Sydney Matteson and Laura Gradiska battling to a 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 victory over the Bears’ Taylor Wentz and Jordan Fantuzzi.
Next up for Menlo will be the annual California High School Classic, a two-day event that begins Friday in Fresno. Joining the Knights from this area will be Gunn and Palo Alto.
Gunn, which hosts Pinewood on Wednesday, is off to an 0-2 start following a 4-3 nonleague loss to visiting Los Gatos on Tuesday.
Titans’ coach Jim Gorman was pleased with his team’s performance despite the outcome as four matches went to a third set. The deciding match was at No. 2 singles, where Gunn’s Constance Wu battled Caitlin Olsen before eventually falling, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7-3).
Gunn’s Allana Booth got things rolling for Gunn with a 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 1 singles while Alice Li added a 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 triumph at No. 4 singles for the Titans. The tandem of Jing Lu and Holly Xiao produced a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 win at No. 3 doubles, but Gunn just couldn’t pull off another win.
Elsewhere in early season nonleague play, Sacred Heart Prep (1-1) dropped a 6-1 decision to St. Francis at Cuesta Park in Mountain View on Tuesday. The Gators’ lone victory came at No. 1 doubles where Nicole Olivier and Alex Marshall produced a 7-6 (7-4), 5-7, 10-8 triumph.
Girls volleyball
Sacred Heart Prep (4-3) keep its season rolling with a 25-5, 25-8, 25-18 romp over visiting Sequoia in a nonleague match on Tuesday.
The Gators were coming off an eighth-place finish in last weekend’s Milpitas Spikefest Tournament, the best finish by any local team. Sequoia, however, was no match for Sacred Heart Prep as Christine Renschler led the way with eight kills, Denna Kneiss had 10 digs and Amelia Alvarez contributed 11 assists in just one game.
Sacred Heart will visit Palo Alto on Thursday for a nonleague test at 6:45 p.m. The Vikings went 2-3 in the Spikefest, good for 12th place.
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Menlo School freshman Saga Shermis made her high school debut a successful one with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Menlo-Atherton’s Paige Keating during the Knights’ 6-1 nonleague triumph on Tuesday. Photo by Keith Peters/Palo Alto Online. -
Menlo-Atherton senior Marietta Tuionetoa produced her team’s only victory with a 6-3, 6-0 triumph at No. 1 singles during a 6-1 nonleague loss to host Menlo on Tuesday. Photo by Keith Peters/Palo Alto Online. -
Menlo-Atherton senior Marietta Tuionetoa (left) congratulates Menlo freshman Giannina Ong following Tuionetoa’s 6-3, 6-0 victory at No. 1 singles on Tuesday. Ong’s loss, however, was the only one suffered by the Knights in their 6-1 season-opening victory. Photo by Keith Peters/Palo Alto Online. -
Menlo-Atherton’s Paige Keating tosses her racquet after getting upset with herself during a 6-3, 6-4 loss to Menlo freshman Saga Shermis during the Knights’ 6-1 season-opening victory over the Bears on Tuesday. Photo by Keith Peters/Palo Alto Online.
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