'Nova racket ladies
swipe Toads, 14-4
By Misty Volaski

Villanova reaffirmed its spot at No. 6 in the CIF-SS Division IX polls Wednesday when they beat fellow Condor League squad Thacher, 14-4. The win guaranteed the Wildcats (8-3; 4-0) a berth in the CIF playoffs.

Villanova's singles players swept all of their matches. Fernanda Zapata, Niki Blumberg and Lauren Sims each won all of their three matches in their singles games. Zapata downed Sarah Eckhardt, 6-0, Sabrina Lee, 6-1, and Brooke Wharton, 6-0, allowing only one game to be won against her all day. Sims mimicked Zapatas play, defeating Eckhardt, 6-0, Lee, 6-1 and Wharton 6-0. Blumberg bested both Eckhardt and Lee, 6-3 and Wharton, 6-0.

But Thacher's strength Wednesday lay in its doubles teams, where they pulled off four of nine possible wins. Thacher's No. 1 doubles, Virginia Dawson and Cara Bonewitz, lost only to 'Nova's Sophia Miles and Niamh Daly, 6-3. The Toad ladies then came back to best the teams of Sarah Roussin and Ariana Lujan, and Jessica Campbell and Alexandra Gibbs, beating both by a score of 6-3.

Stephanie Rauner and Dana Gil also dealt two of three possible blows to the 'Nova score, besting Wildcats Miles and Daly, 6-3 and Roussin and Lujan, 6-4.

Thacher is now 2-5 overall and 1-2 in league, in third place in the Condor League, and is ranked No. 8 in CIF-SS Division IV. Villanova is currently in first in league, going undefeated.

The Wildcats will play Bishop Diego next Monday at BDHS at 3 p.m.

© 2003 The Ojai Valley News

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