Varsity girls tennis is officially California’s best. The Eagles won the CIF State championship in a 4–3 thriller over Corona Del Mar on Nov. 29, finishing a postseason run that started with a CCS title and ended in their first-ever state victory.
Just a week earlier on Nov. 22, the Eagles became back-to-back NorCal Champions with a 5–2 win over San Francisco University High School, sweeping all four singles courts and a victory on the first doubles court.
In the state final, singles 1 senior Bella Mariona set the tone with a 6–2, 7–5 win, giving the team an early edge against the SoCal champions. Singles 2 Junior Emily Wu followed with a three-set victory, 6–2, 4–6, 6–4, putting the Eagles two up. After that, the momentum kept shifting between the Eagles and Corona Del Mar Sea Kings with wins on the singles courts and losses on the doubles.
Down 2–3 with two matches left, doubles 1 pair junior Cory Medeiros and senior Carissa Lai kept the Eagles’ hopes alive with a comeback win after dropping the first set. With three wins on both sides, it was up to singles 3 senior Pallavi Mallampati’s match to determine who walked off with the state title.
And thanks to Pallavi, the Eagles took it home — she stepped up and won a tense third set to win the championship, closing out her opponent 7–5, 6–7, 6–0.
“It was super loud, the team and parents were really excited,” Bella said. “As soon as Pallavi shook the other girl’s hand, we ran into the court and everyone was jumping and excited.”
For the coaches and players, the title was long-awaited after falling just short in last year’s state final, where they lost to Palos Verdes.
The team is now one of just three Los Altos programs to win a state championship, joining girls cross country in 2022 and track and field in 1970.
Season Recap:
The varsity girls tennis team officially ended its season with an overall record of 20–11, but the fall wasn’t without its difficulties. Early in the season, the team struggled with injuries taking out top players, which caused a dip in their performance and losses to Lynbrook (1–6) and Los Gatos (3–4). Entering the CCS playoffs, the Eagles were seeded No. 4 — compared to last year at No. 1. However, with a healthy roster ready for the postseason, they easily topped the section with a 5–2 finals win over Los Gatos.
Beyond training on the courts, team chemistry off of them also helped the team reach new heights. With 21 players, captains Bella, Pallavi and junior Lucy Lai helped bring the team together despite the large number of players, according to Nguyen.
“The team chemistry was excellent,” Bella said. “We do things as a group; it’s not just a one-person sport because we are all in it together.”
With this fall wrapped up and looking ahead, the team loses many key players: Bella Mariona, Rebecca Wu, and Pallavi M. But Nguyen said he’s confident in their young talent, including Cory, Emily and freshman Rebecca Wu. For Rebecca, next year is another chance to continue the team’s state-winning legacy.
“We did really well in States, and I am looking forward to playing again next year with so many talented players,” Rebecca said.
