With a very tight CIF-SS first round, the Los Alamitos High girls tennis team worried that their highest ranking might slip out of their grasp. As the sun was setting, the team was in a dead heat with Thousand Oaks 8-8.
There were two singles matches remaining. Senior, Jennifer Lu finished her match quickly to put the Griffins up 9-8. If the Thousand Oaks player won against Caroleen Fararji, the meet would be tied, requiring each of the singles players and doubles teams to play an additional game or as a last resort, add up all points for each team to decide the winner. However, as the light dimmed, it became almost impossible for the players to see the ball.
CIF-SS precedent foreshadowed that as the host team if Los Al called the game because of darkness, the win could be challenged. This would mean that rather than tying in the final game, Los Al would forfeit. Because Los Al had more individual games won, Thousand Oaks Lancer’s coach decided to forfeit the final match giving Los Al the 10-8 win.
Two days later, Los Al faced Dana Hills at home winning more decisively 11-7. Singles players seniors, Jennifer Lu and Caroleen Fararji and sophomore Catt MacEachern dominated winning eight of the nine regulation matches played as well as the extra match won by junior, Jacqui Gordon winning in two tie breakers 7-6, 7-4.
The win earned the Griffins a place in the quarterfinals against second-seeded University. However, University was too much for the Griffins, as they advanced to the semifinals with a 15-3 win on Monday. University had finished the regular season as the No.2 ranked team in Division 1, behind Peninsula High of Palos Verdes. Los Alamitos was the No. 7 team in the final CIF-SS poll, after winning the Sunset League championship.
