As the 2019 CIF-Southern Section girls’ tennis playoffs begin Nov. 5 with wild-card play, 14 Catholic school teams are among the competitors for team championships.
Seedings are based on the final regular season poll issued Nov. 4. Only J.Serra (eighth in D-2) and Mayfield (tenth in D-3) represented Catholic schools in the various divisional top tens.
The wild-card matches on Nov. 5 include the following:
D-3: Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks at Windward; St. Lucy’s at Mayfield.
D-4: La Salle at Alhambra; Alemany at Buckley.
D-5: Villanova Prep at de Toledo; Ontario at Immaculate Heart.
First round matches on Nov. 6 (which will also feature wild-card winners) include:
D-1: Santa Margarita (18-5) at Troy (16-1); Chaminade (7-7) at Camarillo (15-0); Mater Dei (13-6) at Foothill/Santa Ana (11-4).
D-2: South Pasadena (8-10) at J.Serra (14-5).
D-3: Ventura (9-6) at Bishop Montgomery (10-2).
D-4: wild-card winner at Flintridge Sacred Heart (10-4).
D-5: St. Joseph/Lakewood (8-4) at Vista del Lago (15-3).
Second round matches are Nov. 8, quarterfinals Nov. 11, semifinals Nov. 13, and finals Nov. 15.
Last year, Bishop Montgomery captured the Division 4 team title, the first Catholic school team champion since St. Bonaventure won the Division IV crown in 2002.
Individual singles and doubles tournaments will take place later in the month. Last year, Eryn Cayetano of St. Anthony won the individual singles’ title, defeating Casie Wooten of Chadwick, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1. With her win, Cayetano became the first Catholic school CIF singles champion since Karen Shin of Chaminade in 1984, and only the third ever, joining Maria Fernandez of Bishop Montgomery who won in 1975 and 1976.
