Spirits sweep all seven matches against Mustangs
Gilroy – When Notre Dame sophomore Alexis Pressas first took up tennis at age 5, her mother was concerned that with her frail stature and skinny wrists that her daughter might get hurt.
Christine Pressas had always been impressed with Monica Seles, so she told her daughter to use a two-handed forehand. In her second varsity season with the Spirits, Alexis Pressas is playing No. 1 singles and running opponents from side-to-side. She’s still on the small side but her groundstrokes, particularly her two-handed forehand, are powerful.
Pressas, who was unbeaten last year at No. 2 singles, has lost only to Salinas No. 1 Kelsey Nix. She was one of four Notre Dame singles players to win in straight sets Tuesday, beating Amy Huang 6-1, 6-0. All three doubles teams did the same as the Spirits defeated Gilroy 7-0 in a Tri-County Athletic League encounter.
Notre Dame’s only losses have come to TCAL leader Salinas. The Spirits finished 10-2 in the regular season with the TCAL meet looming next Monday and Nov. 1 in Salinas.
“We’re playing well,” said ND coach Bill Pressas, Alexis’ father. “We’re looking forward to another shot at Salinas in the TCALs.”
Meanwhile, Gilroy (3-5 overall, 5-6 TCAL) is looking forward to another shot at North Salinas, who the Mustangs lost to earlier in the season and meet Thursday in their regular-season finale. GHS, which had a four-match win streak snapped, is playing its best tennis now. Of course, the Mustangs aren’t in the same class as Notre Dame.
And yet two of the doubles matches were competitive. Erin MacIsaac and Brooke Furter defeated Holly Hunter and Karissa Tellez 6-1, 6-3, but the Gilroy girls made their opponents earn their points with some long rallies. The once-beaten MacIsaac and Furter were just too strong at the net.
At No. 3 doubles, Brynn Casas and Brooke Caraccioli outlasted Sidney Ebert and Anniliese Zelina 6-3, 6-4. The Notre Dame duo was more consistent with their groundstrokes.
GHS was without singles players Emily Castro and Cherilyn Christian. While they might have made some of the matches more competitive, Mustangs’ coach Randy Barbaglia acknowledged it wouldn’t have changed the outcome.
“We’re playing better but they’re one of the best teams in the league,” Barbaglia said. “I would like to see us at least win more games.”
At No. 2 doubles, Shannon MacIsaac and Sara Horne beat Kim Johnson and Natalie Toews 6-2, 6-2.
The singles matches were more one-sided as once-beaten Sara Plymale defeated Gories Kwong 6-1, 6-0; Brittlyn Schwartz beat Alissa Castro 6-1, 6-1; and Sierra Nichols got past Megan Hemick 6-0, 6-0.
