BENICIA HIGH’S girls tennis team captured the program’s first Sac-Joaquin Section championship with an exciting 5-4 victory over McClatchy on Wednesday.

The Sac-Joaquin Section Division II girls tennis championship went right down to the wire Wednesday, and when the epic 3 1/2-hour battle was over, it was the Benicia High Lady Panthers who were still left standing.

Sophomore Lily Hayward pulled out a three-hour, three-set victory in No. 2 singles that gave Benicia High a thrilling 5-4 win over visiting McClatchy. The victory wrapped up Benicia’s first Sac-Joaquin Section girls tennis championship and left the unbeaten Lady Panthers (18-0) a bit stunned at what they’d just accomplished.

“It’s overwhelming,” said Benicia head coach Lisa Burton. “I’m almost speechless because it was very close.”
“We’ve never made it this far and it’s nice to have done it with a young team,” said Benicia senior Michelle Li, whose three-set victory in No. 1 singles proved to be crucial. “I’m proud of my teammates for pulling through all season. It’s been a good year.”

The team match with McClatchy went back and forth all day. Madeline Beyer won 6-3, 6-4 for Benicia in No. 4 singles and teammate Melanie Fisher won 6-2, 6-4 at No. 5 singles. But McClatchy’s Amy Dao and Taylor Ishida won at No. 3 and No. 6 singles, respectively, to even the match.

Benicia’s No. 1 doubles team of Katie Voss and Gabriella Traver battled their way to a 7-5, 6-3 win, only to have McClatchy’s No. 3 doubles team even things up with a three-set victory. That left two singles matches and one doubles match still in progress, and whichever team won 2-of-3 would be crowned Section champions.

Li put Benicia in front when she willed her way to a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over McClatchy’s Olivia Lok in No. 1 singles.
“She was really irritating and I was really impatient with her,” Li said of her opponent. “But I had the momentum and I think I wanted to win more. It all kind of worked out for me.”

“Michelle had an excellent match,” Burton added. “She brought her best game when we needed it most.”

Now up 4-3, Benicia needed only one more win to capture the Section crown. Hayward was locked in a twilight duel with McClatchy’s Taylor Chan, who seemed to match the Lady Panther sophomore stroke for stroke.

“She hit it harder than a lot of people I’ve played and she had good control,” Hayward said of Chan.

Hayward had several calls go against her but didn’t let it affect her game.

“I tried to turn the frustration into hitting it harder and getting more spin,” Hayward said. “I didn’t think about winning the Section championship or anything. I just thought about each point.”

Hayward served twice for match point up 6-5 in the third set but couldn’t close it out. In the third-set tiebreaker, Hayward served for an ace to tie things at 3-3 and traded points with Chan until 6-6. Hayward then made the shot of the day, ripping a backhand laser down the line for a 7-6 lead. When Chan couldn’t return the next volley, Hayward won 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6) to clinch the Section title for the stunned Lady Panthers.
“She was as cool as cucumber,” Burton said. “As much stress as there was, she stayed iron strong. Her nerves were

incredible for her to pull out that tiebreaker. I’m super impressed.”

Benicia’s season continues with a Northern California Tournament play-in match Friday at home against Rocklin – the Division II runner up.

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