PV beats Chico for section title CHICO — Pleasant Valley High had the best girls tennis team all season, and the Vikings showed it once again Wednesday. The Vikings won the Northern Section Division I team championship, besting Chico 5-3 at Community Park as fifthseeded Brenna Meier was victorious in both of her matches despite playing with an injury. “ Brenna Meier is pretty amazing,” said PV coach Scott Feingold, who clearly appreciated her effort. “She played her guts out.” That helped the Vikings, who were unbeaten in Eastern Athletic League play, to another championship and a berth in the Northern California tournament, which starts Nov. 22. While the Panthers bookended victories Wednesday at Nos. 1 and 6 singles, Pleasant Valley’s depth produced wins in all four matches in between. Three of them were straight sets as PV’s Zhi George won the No. 2 singles match, 6-2, 6-2 over Morgan Henry, Annabelle Lewis topped India Joslyn, 6- 1, 6- 2, and Malori Wagner defeated Maddy Mik-les, 6-3, 7-5. Meier battled a bothersome right wrist injury and a first-set deficit but overcame both in beating Sam Wheeler 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. Even with Ali Peterson’s 6-0, 6-2 win over PV’s Nicole Flint at No. 6, the Vikings (18-3) needed just one doubles match. The first one to finish was at No. 2, where Joslyn and Mikles outlasted Lewis and Wagner, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3. But Meier and No. 3 doubles partner, Pa Xiong, finished play with a 7-5, 6-4 triumph over Wheeler and Peterson under the lights and evening sky as temperatures dipped from the comfortable afternoon sun when singles matches began. At the time, the No. 1 doubles match was in favor of PV’s Chelsea Hall and George at 7-6 (7-3), 3-3 as they played familiar foes Taylor McGowan and Henry. With the team match decided, the four stopped play. “ We all have homework,” McGowan said. Top-seeded players Hall and McGowan resumed their rivalry in singles two days since their last meeting. This time the Panthers’ sophomore got the best of her training partner in a 6-4, 6-3 victory, after the Vikings’ freshman won the Eastern Athletic League title in Monday’s final. McGowan and Henry won the doubles title that day. “Whoever is on that day is more likely to win. She was more aggressive Monday and got to the net more,” McGowan said. “We’re pretty dead even.” The two are so much so that they have even split sets with each one taking one straight-set victory and one three-setter in their four matches this season. They could get a fifth match as the two are likely to be seeded 1-2 — in some order — for the section individual tournament. Seeding and brackets will be decided today. The event starts Saturday at Foothill High in Palo Cedro with play scheduled to continue Monday and Tuesday at Sun Oaks Tennis and Fitness club in Redding. Both coaches said Wednesday if it’s another Chico-PV final for singles and doubles Tuesday’s finals would be moved south. And the way these two have played that seems at least possible, if not likely. McGowan won both titles last year as a freshman. Chico will play Division II champ Orland, a 5- 1 winner over Colusa on Wednesday, for the second berth in the NorCal tourney. The match will likely be either next Thursday or Friday, Panthers coach Lana Boles said.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 20:32:56 +0000