Queens of the Court
Manteca girls tennis ready
to contend for VOL, section
titles despite new division
By JOHN LOUIE PANLAQUI
Tower News
The courts are open.
The nets are set.
The players are present.
And the championship is at stake.
It is time for Manteca High’s girls tennis season to begin with one looming question: Can the Buffaloes, armed with reigning Sac-Joaquin Section singles champion Katie Kim, win it all?
Manteca High senior Katie Kim is one of three players in school history to win a Sac-Joaquin Section singles title. She’ll look to repeat that feat this season as the Buffaloes make the jump to Division II.
When asked about how she will prepare for the season, Kim, the team captain, said: “Preparing for the season, I have been happy with wanting to practice with the team. But I’ve also been doing my practices with my coach on my own. We’ve also got a new coach who’s helped us prepare better for the season, and we’ve done practices off Manteca High.”
Winning a section title requires talent and focus. Manteca High coach MaryAnn Tolbert raved about Kim’s commitment and mental strength.
“She is very committed, very driven,” Tolbert said. “It takes a very special mindset to be out there alone on the court playing singles knowing everything is your own personal responsibility.”
Winning a title can either push you to play better or cause you to relax as you’ve achieved the goal. Unfortunately for other schools, Kim is not planning on relaxing this season. As one of three Sac-Joaquin individual section title champions in school history, she plans to repeat the feat this season.
“I think I have a good chance of winning my title again this year,” she said. “I’ve been practicing on my own time and working really hard, so I think I’ll be able to defend my title.”
Most of the eyes are on Kim, which naturally happens when you win a section title, but that does not mean that she will be the only player schools have to worry about. And even when the seniors are gone, schools will have to tackle the Buffaloes’ impressive young core.
“Actually, we’ve been only able to play three matches. And in those three matches, our singles players have come through strong for us winning some matches. Chloe Marquis came back here after a year of being off, and she immediately stepped into the second spot. Emma Ngo is at the third spot and she’s a sophomore solid as can be, just goes out there and does her job. Leading our doubles is Eva Passion. One of the best things about our team is that we have huge participation of younger girls. So as older girls graduate out, those younger girls can step in and fill their roles,” said Tolbert, who has coached the team to six Valley Oak League titles since taking over the program in 2008.
Manteca High’s Emma Ngo hits forehand during a recent Valley Oak League match. The Buffaloes are unbeaten in league play with impressive wins over chief rivals Central Catholic and Sierra.
One of the most exciting things about this season is the fact that the team has moved up to Division II for the year-end section tournament. Manteca will face new teams en route to defending its title.
The captain’s response to this change: “It will definitely be more competitive. It will be a whole new experience with a whole new set of teams. But I think we have a good shot at winning.”
New division, new teams, new expectations. For Tolbert, there are three things she hopes the team can achieve.
“Our team goal is to win VOL, that’s No. 1,” she said. “Our second would obviously be to win a section title. Going up to D2, I’m not sure what that looks like this year. But third, it’s to create a culture and some fantastic individuals that enjoy spending time together and working towards a common goal of VOL. And enjoying themselves because you don’t necessarily remember the title. But you remember the excitement and the joy you felt, playing the sport.”
Manteca High students Colton Murillo and Jack Vasquez contributed to this report.
Photos contributed by Wayne Thallander
