PAL Team Tournament

Girls’ tennis (11-3) kicked off its postseason run with the Peninsula Athletic League (PAL) Bay Team Tournament on Tuesday, Oct. 28, entering as the third-ranked team against Menlo-Atherton High School, the fourth-ranked team. The Panthers beat Menlo-Atherton 6-1 twice during the season and found the same success in the tournament.

“Our first round was pretty fun,” sophomore Ella Vuong said. “The team was not as good, so it was a pretty easy win for I think everyone on our team, except for a few people.”

After facing Menlo-Atherton, the Panthers were set to play one of their biggest competitors of the season, Aragon High School.

“Aragon is probably the team in our league where we are most neck and neck with. We went back and forth. We lost the first match to them of the season, won our second match to them of the season, and then lost to them in PALs,” junior Ali Endicott said. “But I think both teams have a great amount of respect for each other, and we’re always extremely competitive.”

Though the Panthers were eliminated from the team tournament after a 7-0 loss, everyone played tough matches, including sisters Ali and Bailey Endicott, who competed in a three-hour match with multiple tie breakers.

“I believe we lost the first set, won the second, went to the tiebreaker and lost the second. But it was really fun, because all the teams came on the court and they were each cheering us from the side, and it got really close,” Ali Endicott said. “I think we lost 8-10, but the whole team was there, it was really fun, and our coaches were really proud, and we had a great time.”

Though the teams have been close competitors throughout the season, Aragon’s consistency and power make them a difficult team to defeat.

“Because all of their players are really consistent and they have a lot of power behind their shots, it’s hard to keep up a rally with them without getting tired or while staying patient enough to win the play,” Vuong said.

PAL Individual Tournament

After the team tournament, the highest-performing members of the team were admitted to the PAL Individual Tournament during the week of Nov. 4, joining other top players from across the league. From Burlingame, seniors Sam Tom and Evelyn Du played doubles, as did sophomores Vuong and Greta Martin. In the quarterfinal round, the two Burlingame pairs faced each other, a match Vuong said was extremely memorable.

“Especially during our game, when we played Sam and Evelyn, that was the most fun we’ve had this season,” Vuong said. “I think just because we were all really comfortable with each other, and we didn’t take it that seriously, so it was more just like a practice.”

Although Tom and Du won the match, Vuong and Martin were still excited to cheer on their teammates as they advanced to the semi-final round.

“It’s really fun to watch them. And then we were really nervous for them,” Vuong said. “We were sitting in the corner and recording them a few times. It’s really fun seeing them play, because they’re both really good.”

Tom and Du went on to play Carlmont High School in the semi-final match. They lost to the tournament’s No. 1 from Carlmont 6-4 and 6-1 in a match with long rallies and close points. Despite the loss, they won the third-place match against another Carlmont team, narrowly missing the cutoff for the Central Coast Section (CCS) tournament. Junior Shea Mulready also played singles, placing fourth in the tournament after losing her semifinal match to Aragon.

CCS Team Tournament

To end the season, the team played in the CCS Team Tournament on Nov. 11-12, where they secured a 5-2 win in their first round against Silver Creek High School and advanced to the second round.

“We had a couple of more harder-fought matches, but we did sweep the doubles, which is always a really good sign. And I know I think all the singles fought really, really hard,” Ali Endicott said.

The second round match was against the third seed, Monta Vista High School, a rematch from last year. Monta Vista’s depth made each match difficult.

“Every player has player strengths that just add to the team and make it even better, which our team does too. But for them, they just have these certain strengths that are just absolutely amazing,” junior Caroline Rafferty said.

Though Burlingame was swept 0-7, Rafferty said her match was the best of the tournament and her personal tennis career. It included a first and second set tiebreaker, as well as a tiebreaker for the whole match. Ultimately, Rafferty lost the match tiebreaker 10-12 after three hours of play.

“Yesterday morning, I practiced with my dad for 30 minutes in the morning. And then I had my match yesterday afternoon. I played the best I’ve ever played all season,” Rafferty said.

As the season comes to a close, Rafferty said a unique aspect of the season was the team’s strong sense of community.

“I feel like everyone really, really connects and likes each other and gets along well, we’re always cheering each other on,” Rafferty said. “There’s just a lot of love for each other on this team.”