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Vikings girl’s tennis rallies past Wooster

Staff Report
The 2021 South Tahoe girls’ tennis team.
Provided

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — The South Tahoe girls’ tennis team got its season underway on Tuesday and earned a 12-6 victory over the Wooster Colts.

“It was so special being the first match with everything we have been through in the last month,” said vikings head coach Tracey Samoluk. “With the Tamarack and Dixie fires and then the Caldor Fire, we missed some practices and then were evacuated on Aug. 29. You just have to keep on believing and put everything into it and never give up. I am so incredibly proud of these young ladies. They know what perseverance is.”

The Vikings fit in a few extra practices to try and make up for lost time.



The match was initially delayed due to poor air quality but the teams eventually got the “OK” to play.

Wooster’s top player, Jill Kirgin, won all three singles matches, surrendering just one game to provide three points for her team. But South Tahoe limited Wooster’s points in the other matches.



Kiera Lyons and Kyla Schrauben won two singles matches each and Stella Divine “fought hard and dug deep” to earn a singles point by rallying to win a match 7-5.

The Vikings No. 1 doubles team of Erin Yamaoka and Nora Stewart swept through all three of their matches.

The No. 2 doubles team of Soleil Weed and Lauren Romsos won both their matches without giving up a single game, winning both 6-0, 6-0.

In the third round, Danielle Ralston and Weed played Wooster’s No. 1 doubles team and pulled out all the stops to get the win at 6-4.

The Vikings doubles team of Angie Albanese and Lana Maher played “their hearts out” but fell in a tough match.

The No. 3 doubles team of Darlene Tumbaga and Luna Melgarejo was an amazing team effort, Samoluk said.

“In the third round they played the Wooster No. 2 doubles team and it was a close tight match. The games were back and forth. Tied at 5-5, they got the next game to lead 6-5. That left Luna to serve for the match and that’s exactly what she did, ending it at 7-5.

“I was so proud of Nora and Erin. They worked well together and put their best game out there,” Samoluk said. “Soleil and Lauren make a great team together and pulled off some amazing gets and winner shots. I couldn’t be more proud of my team. They work hard, have fun and never ever give up,”

The Vikings played against Churchill County on Thursday in Fallon and will host Hug at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 28.


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