Live Oak has nearly completed a complete turnaround from last season.
The Acorns (11-3), who went winless in 2012, are now vying for first place. The girls need a win Wednesday and help from Gunderson, who is playing the one-loss Pioneer team.
“Last year was so tough,” said coach Ken Marques. “We didn’t have any senior. They were all green, a new team.”
The Acorns moved down from the Santa Teresa Division to the West Valley and the change has sparked a huge improvement, along with some offseason practice.
“We got in this league and the girls have put in time in the off season and it’s just showing,” Marques said.
For its part, Live Oak defeated Overfelt 5-2 thanks to pulling out two matches that went down to the wire.
The No. 1 doubles team of Ari Caldwell and Geneice Gonzalez cruised through the first set 6-2, only to run into trouble in the second.
Live Oak needed either the No. 1 doubles or the No. 2 doubles teams to win to clinch a victory, as the remainder of the team was already finished with its respective matches — holding on to a 3-2 lead.
But the team of Caldwell and Gonzalez were behind 5-4 and needed to make up ground. They managed to tie the set 5-5, but dropped the next one and were one point away from needing a decisive third set.
The No. 2 doubles team of Abigail Upstill and Sophie Lastra had just lost in a set-2 tiebreaker and were looking at needing to play a third pending the outcome of their teammates.
Down 40-30 in the 12th game, Caldwell and Gonzalez won the next three points to force the tiebreaker.
The two sides went back and forth in the race to seven points.
Because of the way the wind was swirling, coach Marques had stressed the girls lob the ball into the backcourt as much as possible and allow the wind to move the ball back onto the court to make it tough for Overfelt.
“We usually play practice in the wind tunnel, so it gives us a little bit of an advantage,” Caldwell said. “It’s a little bit harder because all the balls we hit were going the other way.”
Caldwell and Golzalez went up 4-3 only to see Overfelt tie it at 4 all.
But like the 12th game that forced the tiebreaker, the duo rattled off three straight points to win 7-4 to take the match 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).
“It’s our last home game as seniors. I knew it was important to me and to her too because it was our last year,” Caldwell said.
With the match in hand, Upstill and Lastra finished their contest as they started it, with a 6-3 win.
The tandem remains undefeated this year, going 14-0.
That completed a sweep of the doubles as the No. 3 tandem of Katie Grant and Erin Lamontagne cruised through their match 6-2, 6-3.
They too remain undefeated this season.
On the singles side, No. 4 player Isabel Upstill enacted revenge on her opponent, who had beaten her earlier in the year. She muscled through her contest 6-1, 6-4.
“Isabel has been one of our most consistent tennis players,” Marques said.
No. 1 singles player Denise Hartmann remained undefeated, dropping just one game in a 6-0, 6-1 win.
Rounding out the day were No. 2 singles Helan Van, falling 6-4, 6-1, and No. 3 singles Elsa Monterrey, falling 6-3, 6-1.
West Valley Tournament
Live Oak had a successful run at the division tournament and have qualified several of its girls to the full league tournament starting Oct. 28. That will determine who goes to the CCS tournament.
Hartmann led the girls with in the No. 1 singles spot, defeating Pioneer 6-4, 6-2 in the championship round to sweep the division tournament.
“I have faith in Denise in making it to CCS. She’s a real dominant player,” Marques said.
Hartmann avenged the loss of her teammate Abigail Upstill, who fell in the semis to the same Pioneer player 7-6, 6-3.
“She’s a sophomore and our future No. 1 (player),” Marques said.
Also qualifying for the BVAL tournament were the No. 1 doubles tandem of Caldwell and Isabell Upstill.
They lost in the finals to Overfelt, 6-2, 6-0.
Live Oak will finish out the season at Lincoln Wednesday.
