Lady Warriors dominate SSL Doubles
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From left to right, Hannah Fjeld, Darian Grisso, Daelyn Valencia and Alexis Schoenberg pose for a picture after the SSL championship in Arvin during which they made school history.
In recent seasons, Tehachapi has had varsity tennis players reach the finals and win individual titles.
But for the first time in THS history, the Lady Warriors marked another impressive feat by having two doubles teams storm through the SSL bracket to meet in the winner-take-all championship.
Daelyn Valencia and Darian Grisso defeated opponents from Shafter (6-1, 6-1) and Bakersfield Christian (6-3, 6-4), while Hannah Fjeld and Alexis Schoenberg defeated opponents from Bakersfield Christian (7-5, 7-5) and Taft (6-3, 7-5) to set up the all-Tehachapi final.
“It’s hard enough to get through the talent that it is in our league to reach a championship final,” said head coach Amy Lang. “But to have doubles teams from the same school reach the final the same year? That’s pretty special.”
The four friends and teammates played a friendly championship match, with Grisso and Valencia prevailing to put their mark on league history with a 6-1, 6-2 win.
“It was an amazing accomplishment for all four girls to reach this stage, they should be very proud of themselves,” added Lang. “It was an amazing to see them to get through their bracket to get to this stage.”
In the singles draw, Lexi Zimmerman logged a first round win against her opponent from Shafter 6-3, 6-1, while Brooke Neufeld had a win against her opponent from Arvin, 6-3, 6-0. Both girls reached the SSL quarterfinals before ending their season.
By reaching the final four in doubles at the league finals, Grisso, Valencia, Schoenberg and Fjeld all earned a berth in the CIF championships in Clovis, where they took on Central California’s best high school tennis talent.
Fjeld and Schoenberg defeated their first round opponent from Woodlake 6-4, 6-2 before falling in the second round to a team from Buchanan-Clovis. Grisso and Valencia defeated an opponent from Dos Palos before bowing out in the second round to a team from Redwood-Visalia.
“We had a great season and our success in the individual events was a positive way to end the year,” Lang said. “We’re all very proud of our girls and what they were able to accomplish.”
