D’backs done for season

PHELAN — The Serrano girls tennis team faced arguably its toughest opponent of the season on Thursday and was eliminated from the CIF-Southern Section Division III playoffs.

The Diamondbacks fell 10-8 to Long Beach Poly in the first round of the postseason.

The D’backs (13-1) came in off an undefeated regular season and their fourth straight Mojave River League title, but it wasn’t enough to defeat the Jackrabbits, who finished second in the Moore League.

“It’s never fun to lose, but at least we lost to a good school,” said Serrano’s No. 1 singles player Brianna Wood, who won two sets on Thursday.

Serrano coach Alex Quick said that she plans to get the D’backs into some Orange County tournaments during the regular season next year to better prepare them for CIF.

Long Beach Poly’s No. 1 singles player Monica Rodriguez dominated and didn’t drop a game.

“Everything was good with her,” Wood said. “She was smart; she knew where to hit the ball.”

Though she was swept by Rodriguez, Wood swept her other two opponents.

The Jackrabbits’ No. 1 doubles team of Kristine Abatay and Sydney Mamaradlo was just as dominating as Rodriguez. They also swept and dropped only four games. All four of those losses came in their set with Serrano’s No. 1 doubles team of Kauren Tarver and Ashley Smaldone. Tarver and Smaldone led the match 3-0 at one point but couldn’t close it out.

“They were just a good team and we were a good team,” said doubles player Leslie Piercy, who teamed up with Skyler Tarver to win one set in a tie-breaker. “I guess it came down to who had it.”

Kauren Tarver and Smaldone won their other two sets 6-0 and 6-2.

Brianna Scales also won two of her three singles sets for Serrano.

Despite the early playoff exit, Quick felt the league title was something for the D’backs to hang their hats on.

With only two players graduating, Serrano may have a lot to look forward to next season.

“I’m totally proud of the girls,” Quick said. “From the beginning we all thought we were going to take league and we did, and so I’m proud of them.”

LONG BEACH POLY SINGLES

Rodriguez 6-0, 6-0, 6-0; Dip 0-6, 6-3; Hannsun 4-6; Guevara 0-6, 6-2, 3-6.

LONG BEACH POLY DOUBLES

Abatay-Mamaradlo 6-4, 6-0, 6-0; Campbell-Crockett 2-6, 6-2, 6-2; Nakamura-Bolidio 0-6, 4-6, 6-7 (5).

SERRANO SINGLES

Wood 0-6, 6-0, 6-0; Banta 0-6, 3-6, 2-6; Scales 0-6, 6-4, 6-3.

SERRANO DOUBLES

K. Tarver-Smaldone 4-6, 6-0, 6-2; Roberts-Russell 0-6, 2-6, 6-4; Piercy-S. Tarver 0-6, 2-6, 7-6 (5).

C.J. Daft can be reached at christiand@vvdailypress.com or at 951-6275.