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New tennis players gain experience during Warriors' season

This year's Fallbrook High School girls tennis team had only two players who were on the Warriors' varsity last year and one of those split 2015 between the varsity and junior varsity squads. The inexperience contributed to Fallbrook's 2-13 regular season record which included losses in all eight Valley League matches.

"We did the best we could with what we had," said Fallbrook coach Bill Lenaway. "You can't expect someone who's spent 60 hours on a tennis court to beat someone who's spent 600 hours on a tennis court. You've got to have some realistic expectations."

Two of the Fallbrook players had never previously participated in an organized match or had formal lessons.

"To have them by the end of the season being competitive and actually winning sets, that's serious progress," said Lenaway.

The only player on Fallbrook's varsity for all of last year was sophomore Imogen Isaac, who won all of her sets during league play.

"She did great," said Lenaway of Isaac.

High school tennis matches consist of nine singles sets and nine doubles sets. The three singles players on each team play each of the other school's singles players, while three doubles tandems from each school play all of their counterparts.

"Your best player can only give you a certain number of points," said Lenaway.

Makena Larson, who split last year between the varsity and junior varsity, is also currently a sophomore. "She had some success," said Lenaway.

The league results included 10-8 losses to Ramona and Escondido and 10-6 defeats against Escondido, Valley Center, and Ramona.

"We were in the matches," said Lenaway. "If a couple of things had gone our way we would have won a league match."

Lenaway took over the girls program from Dave Ramirez. Because Ramirez is left-handed, Fallbrook players who would be facing a left-handed opponent often practiced against Ramirez to prepare them for the upcoming competition against the southpaw. None of this year's Fallbrook players are left-handed, so the Warriors' only preparation against left-handed players was past experience against lefties during actual matches.

"They just got their first year of varsity experience," said Lenaway. "When I look at the improvement with the girls on the team I have to be happy."

 

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