BENICIA JUNIOR Gabby Traver returns a shot during her singles match against Vallejo.

Benicia High’s red-hot badminton team was cooled off a bit by Vallejo and Armijo late in the week.

The Lady Panthers suffered their first defeat of the season with a 9-6 loss to visiting Vallejo on Thursday. Benicia (5-2) then split two matches on Friday, losing to Armijo, 8-1, before slipping past Stagg, 5-4.

Simone Burdick and Jade Fisher each won singles matches against Vallejo, with Burdick rallying for a 21-19, 9-21, 21-16 victory. Three Benicia doubles teams won in three sets. Gabby Traver and Maddy Schmeling were 21-13, 18-21, 21-18 winners in No. 3 doubles while Danielle Lozada and Regina Salvador were 20-22, 22-20, 21-18 winners in No. 5 doubles. Elizabeth Miller-Binkley and Alvina Phouasalit won 19-21, 21-19, 21-12 at No. 6 doubles. Monise Ghandchi and Aranya Phadungsang won 23-21, 21-17 at No. 7.

Five of Benicia’s nine losses to Vallejo came in three sets, a good showing for the Lady Panthers against one of the elite teams in the Solano County Athletic Conference.

“We were very competitive,” said Benicia head coach Tom Stephens. “I’m pleasantly surprised that we were that close because Vallejo is pretty good. I was worried we’d get shut out but obviously I underestimated our team because we played pretty well. A couple of points here and there and we might have won.”

Benicia played a non-conference doubleheader on Friday, opening with a crushing defeat against Armijo. Jordan Whiting’s 21-11, 21-11 victory at No. 6 singles accounted for Benicia’s only win. Whiting and Fisher each earned singles victories in the win over Stagg. The Burdick twins – Simone and Jeanette – won 21-17, 21-17 in No. 1 doubles. Lozada and Salvador won 21-8, 21-10 in No. 2 doubles, and Monise Ghandchi and Aranya Phadungsang teamed up for a 21-12, 21-13 victory at No. 3 doubles.

The Lady Panthers (2-1 SCAC) play at Bethel on Thursday.

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