Before the season started, San Benito High girls’ tennis coach Ed Cecena was convinced 2013 would be a rebuilding year.
So much for rebuilding. The Haybalers were 6-2 overall and 3-0 in Monterey Bay Gabilan Division play entering Tuesday’s match against Watsonville.
“It’s been totally unexpected,” Cecena said, referring to the team’s fast start. “We came into the season wanting to compete, and we’ve done more than that. All the credit go to the girls working hard and applying all the techniques we’re teaching them to their matches.”
San Benito is coming off a huge 4-3 win over Salinas last week. With the score at 3-3, Mikayla Irvin won her match at No. 4 singles to clinch the victory. Even though Irvin won in straight sets, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2, she was out on the court for over two hours.
“Mikayla and her opponent were mirror images of each other,” Cecena said. “They had a lot of long points, a lot of rallies that lasted 20 to 25 strokes. Mikayla came through for us, big time.”
The same could be said about the entire San Benito team, as players from every position — whether it be No. 1 singles or No. 3 doubles — have come through in the clutch time and again.
The Balers have competed in a number of matches that have gone the distance — instead of playing a traditional set to decide a match, teams often decide to use a super tiebreaker (first to 10 points and win by two) as a substitute for a third set.
“We’ve excelled in those super tiebreakers, Cecena said. “The girls really show mental toughness, and they’re playing smart.”
The Balers have received tremendous consistency from Irvin and No. 3 singles player Gwendolynn Fernstrom, who both play a counter-punching style. Kelsey Slavich and Cathy Frusetta, the team’s Nos. 1 and 2 singles players, respectively, have been playing an attacking style that Cecena has preached since the first day of practice.
“I want our girls to take a short ball, attack it and come to the net,” Cecena said. “Win or lose, I want them to attack.”
Slavich has an underrated slice backhand and forehand chip, allowing her to keep the ball low and play some high percentage tennis. Cecena has had to mix and match his doubles lineup throughout the season, but the situation has settled recently. Rachel Logue and Leeann Gutierrez played No. 1 doubles against Salinas, Katarina Ortiz and Rachel Brigantino the two, and Julia Duggs and Jessica White the three.
“Both our singles and doubles players have really raised their level of play faster than I expected,” Cecena said.
To their credit, the Balers have won a number of matches the hard way: By grinding them out. Simply put, San Benito often has outlasted the competition by displaying a superior will to compete and win.
“The girls have really been tough in key situations,” Cecena said. “I think they take pride in playing well in those clutch moments.”
The victory over Salinas was vital because the Cowboys are traditionally one of the top teams in the league. It was a signature win for the Balers, who are coming off a 13-5 season and a second-place league finish last season.
Even though San Benito knocked off Salinas, it isn’t getting overconfident. The Balers still have to play Salinas one more time and Alisal twice, the first of which comes on Thursday.
Can San Benito stun everyone in the league and win a championship?
“We’re positioning ourselves really well,” Cecena said. “We can’t get ahead of ourselves, though. We just have to keep on doing the things we’ve been doing, and things will fall into place.”
So far, so good.
