PREP TENNIS NOTEBOOK: HIGHLAND DIDN'T HAVE IT VS. Q.H.

Byline: Lauren Gustus Staff Writer

When you're up against a team that hasn't lost a league match in more than a dozen years, it's hard to steal away a victory. Just ask Highland coach Linda Ruiz, whose team faced Golden League power Quartz Hill last week.

Her Bulldogs, led by No. 1 singles player Diana Georgescu, tried to accomplish the near-impossible task but were unsuccessful.

``I told my girls, `Go get them, this is your chance,' '' Ruiz said. ``But nobody has beaten them in 13 years, so I wasn't disappointed. I thought my girls played well.''

The Bulldogs were tied with Quartz Hill going into the final round, but the Rebels emerged with an 11-7 victory, which pushed their league record to 6-0 with two weeks remaining in the season.

A matchup between the Antelope Valley's top two girls' tennis players, anticipated since start of the season, was a lopsided victory for Quartz Hill's No. 1 player, Sonya Reynolds.

Reynolds, a senior, beat Georgescu, a sophomore, 6-1 by playing heady tennis.

``I didn't zone out,'' Reynolds said. ``I didn't let things bother me. I knew I needed to play smart tennis, which is what I did. I'm real happy with that.''

Wind, and the lack of a real rhythm, were factors for Georgescu, according to Ruiz.

``I think it's tough when you only get to play one set,'' Ruiz said. ``If it's two out of three, who knows? And it was very windy, typical Palmdale.''

Quartz Hill's courts are notoriously breezy, and Highland won't get at the Rebels in any better climate the next time around Nov. 7. The Bulldogs play all of their matches at Quartz Hill because they haven't got any facilities at their own campus.

--Second is best: At Quartz Hill, Ruiz was encouraged by the play of her No. 2 doubles team, Kelly Manahan and Lily Nguyen, which swept all three sets.

``My doubles played really well, and I think we scared Quartz Hill a little,'' Ruiz said.

Ruiz said she might make a minor change or two in the rematch but thinks this year might be one of Quartz Hill's weakest teams, and Highland should have a good chance the second time around.

--Big guns: Littlerock, which stands at 7-6, 3-3 after winning just two matches last year, faces the top two teams in the Golden League this week: Quartz Hill and Highland.

``It's no secret we're going to move as many girls as we can around,'' coach John Konrad said about Thursday's match against Highland.

Konrad thinks Highland is more beatable than Lancaster, which is in third place behind Highland. Littlerock plans on conceding points at the top two singles spots, but by stacking its doubles, it hopes for enough points to win the match.

``I know they are strong, but I've seen their doubles play,'' Konrad said.

``I think in our eyes, it's just what they have (that gives Highland a better chance). And in our history, we've beat Highland before. So we know we can do it.''

Last week, Littlerock dominated Palmdale, winning 15-3 despite playing shorthanded. But the week was up and down for the Lobos, as they lost to Lancaster Oct. 22.

``Every match we needed, we didn't get,'' Konrad said of the Lancaster match.

--Spooky: Every team in the Golden League has a match Thursday, which is Halloween.

So far, no team has committed to playing in costume.

``We tried it last year,'' Konrad said. ``And it really wasn't successful. We'll get down to it and play serious, and afterward we'll have some fun.''