The latest duo to crack the No. 1 doubles spot for the San
Benito tennis team is senior Erin Glasspool and sophomore Alex
Triolo, a team that boasts a 4-0 record already in the early season
with wins over Aptos, Sobrato, Carmel and, on Tuesday,
Watsonville.
HOLLISTER
Another season. Another strong doubles pairing?
The success San Benito head tennis coach Ed Cecena has had with his top doubles team in recent years is evident, although it is starting to get a little strange.
“We have really good athletes, and they’re part of the ladder,” Cecena said.
The latest duo to crack the No. 1 doubles spot is senior Erin Glasspool and sophomore Alex Triolo, a team that boasts a 4-0 record already in the early season with wins over Aptos, Sobrato, Carmel and, on Tuesday, Watsonville.
Glasspool and Triolo teamed up to take down Watsonville’s Janet Ledesma and Sheila Lopez 6-1, 6-2 at the Ridgemark Golf and Country Club on Tuesday — San Benito’s first win as a team this season.
But despite just a few matches under the team’s collective belt, Cecena is expecting the dominant-doubles trend to continue for at least a fourth year at San Benito.
“No. 1 doubles is really good again this year, and they’re playing against some really good teams,” Cecena said of Glasspool and Triolo. “I think they’re gonna pick up where Chelsea (Yoakum) and Vanessa (Casalegno) left off.”
It was Yoakum and Casalegno who picked up where their predecessors left off, though. For at least the last three seasons, the Balers’ No. 1 team in doubles has practically been a guaranteed win for San Benito.
In 2007, Rachel Maheu and Elena Fata dominated their spot at No. 1 and helped lead the Balers to a share of the Tri-County Athletic League crown. A year later, it was Marisa Ibarra and Crystal Perreira who shined during the regular season, while Amanda Marshall and Abbie Woods, a pair of singles players during the year, teamed up to create a strong doubles pairing in the postseason that won the TCAL Tournament and advanced to the Central Coast Section playoffs.
Last season, the dominant trend continued when Chelsea Yoakum and Vanessa Casalegno went undefeated in the regular season and advanced to the TCAL doubles championship. The two lost in the title match, however — a loss that ended a streak of 43 straight victories for the senior duo that dated back to their sophomore seasons — but the loss came from within, of course.
It was their San Benito teammates, then-junior Erin Glasspool and senior Rachel Smith, who provided the loss to Casalegno and Yoakum in the doubles championship. In the grand scope of doubles success San Benito has enjoyed in recent years, however, it was only fitting.
“The school is so big, we have a lot of girls come out,” Cecena said. “Not every player is gonna be a strong tennis player, but you get those great athletes that are able to adapt to it, because they’re so athletic.”
San Benito’s No. 2 team in senior Alex Garcia and junior Olivia Diaz already have a 2-2 record at their position — they defeated Watsonville’s Felisha Balli and Teresa Medrano 6-1, 6-1 on Tuesday — while Cecena said he’ll mix up the No. 3 doubles position during the team’s early matches.
On Tuesday, Anne Tobias and Krysten Klay made their 2010 debut at the No. 3 spot, where they defeated Watsonville’s Tonya Hernandez and Ruby Magdaleno 6-0, 7-5.
With just three seniors, Cecena said his team “is a little on the young side,” although improvement has been steady early on against top teams like Aptos and Sobrato. Moreover, experience isn’t necessarily lacking, despite the team’s youthful makeup.
Only one freshman, Kelsey Slavich at the No. 4 singles position, cracked the team’s starting rotation, although she follows in her older sister’s footsteps, senior Kristina Slavich, who currently occupies San Benito’s No. 2 spot. Both sisters picked up their first wins of the season on Tuesday against Watsonville.
Meanwhile, sophomore Audrey Marshall returns to the singles category at No. 3 — one year after occupying the No. 4 spot — while junior Hayley Barker will represent San Benito’s top singles player for a second year in row.
Barker defeated Watsonville’s Sandra Mendoza 6-1, 6-1 on Tuesday for her first win of the season.
“She’s getting better every year,” Cecena said of Barker, who played at the No. 3 position during her freshmen year. Cecena said Barker has developed a lot during the offseason, and should be above .500 at season’s end.
“She’s just playing everyone else’s best player,” Cecena added. “She may lose some matches but she’s gaining valuable experience.”
And Cecena is hoping that experience, as well as the experience gained for the remainder of the team, is earned during San Benito’s difficult non-conference schedule. The head coach expects another tough test from TCAL rivals Notre Dame and Salinas, the latter of which is without graduating seniors Taryn Andrews and Teagan Seeley, the top two singles players in the league last season.
“Salinas lost its top two singles players,” Cecena said. “It’ll be interesting, but they’re always strong. It’s just a matter of how strong they’re gonna be.”
