Live Oak badminton moves to 9-6 with victory Tuesday
MORGAN HILL — Live Oak’s Johann Christ Abordo stayed perfect on the season while his team achieved perfection against another rival.
A week after clinching a two-game sweep against Gilroy, the Live Oak badminton team slashed to a second victory against Sobrato on Tuesday in West Valley Division play, winning 9-6 in Sobrato Main Gym.
“The kids played very well,” Live Oak first-year coach Bharat Poria said. “It was great to get a sweep against Sobrato. It meant a lot to the kids.”
Poria’s team also beat the Bulldogs 11-4 April 9. The rematch was much closer, as Sobrato took 2 of 3 in girls singles and boys doubles.
Ashley Tharayil won a hotly contested bout with Live Oak’s Emily Mandel in the No. 1 girls singles match, 7-15, 15-9, 15-9, and Sobrato’s Harsimran Gill added a 5-15, 15-8, 15-11 win over Megan Hartman.
The Bulldogs won a forfeited match in boys doubles and received another three-set win from Henry Kwong and Kevin Schultz, who outlasted Live Oak’s Miguel Mahany and Jaehoon Kim 14-15, 15-8, 17-16.
The Acorns (9-6 league) prevailed, though, behind Abordo and their mixed pairs.
Abordo, a senior, moved to 15-0 with a 15-6, 15-8 victory over Anthony Langga and remained on pace to secure the No. 1 seed for next week’s West Valley Division Finals tournament, hosted by Live Oak.
“Johann has continued to impress,” said Poria, who expects Abordo to capture a division title and berth in the CIF-Central Coast Section Championships.
Poria also likes the progress Mandel and Hartman have made.
“Emily is growing stronger and stronger with each match and currently is on track to become the No. 1 girl for next season,” he said. “Megan Hartman while losing her games, shows much progress and will become a much stronger force as she continues to soak in her experience.”
Sobrato coach Arturo Zapico did not return phone calls.
The Acorns swept all three mixed doubles matches. Shahrooz Bastami and Alexandra Muniz defeated Ernest Yip and Carissah Cruz 15-3, 15-2; Steven Nonnenmacher and Katie Fernandez beat Omar Solorzano and Allison Bettencourt 15-5, 15-3, and Live Oak’s top mixed pair of Qilun Zhou and Lindsey Pisciotta pulled out a tough third-set win to edge Arnoldo Lopez and Carissah Cruz 15-6, 12-15, 15-5.
The Acorns went 2 for 3 in girls doubles action, as No. 1 Jessica Liang and Kristen Pitsenbarger downed Elena Thoms and Kati MacDonnell, and Sara Ann Garber and Ada Tan won convincingly, 15-5, 15-9, over Caitlin Colladay and Rachel Hodo.
Also for the Acorns, Addien Wray and Peter Mains won the top boys doubles match 15-3, 15-10 over Bryan Sperbeck and Tim Stullich, Owen Frederick beat Sobrato’s Spencer Tanguay 15-1, 15-4, and Live Oak’s Alexandra Muniz rallied past Katharine Martin 2-15, 17-14, 15-4.
The Bulldogs (0-15) other two wins came from Roatanak Mov and their No. 3 girls pair of Dorothy Doan and Sierra Nicholson. Mov defeated Alvin To 15-7, 15-8, and Doan and Nicholson beat Sauyri Ramirez and Brittanie Lloyd 15-10, 15-8.
