Oak Park girls' tennis team firing on all cylinders

Photos by JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers ON TARGET-Above, Oak Park's Hannah Sacher rips a forehand during a recent practice session. Below, Lily Okamuro watches the ball as it closes in on her racket. OPHS hasn't lost a match this season. The Tri-Valley League has been revamped and elevated to Division III status this year, but for the Oak Park girls' tennis team, the results haven't changed.

Off to an 8-0 start, including a 2-0 mark in league, the Eagles host their biggest match of the season to date when Villanova Prep arrives on campus today for a 3 p.m. showdown.

"Villanova got to the finals of the Division IV playoffs last year, so they're a pretty legit team," Oak Park fifth-year head coach Tim Schnaible said. "I don't think they lost too many players off that team, maybe one or two. So it's going to be a very good match. Our girls are looking forward to it."

Oak Park has been the dominant girls' tennis program in the Tri-Val- ley League for some time now. Over the last five years, the Eagles have won three outright league titles and split a fourth. Last year they were 15-1 during the regular sea- son before losing to Quartz Hill in the CIF-SS quarterfinals.

When the Tri-Valley League realigned late last year, Oak Park found itself matched up against tougher teams on a consistent ba- sis. The current league consists of Oak Park, Malibu, La Reina, Villanova Prep and Nordhoff.

"I love it. It's been a lot better," Schnaible said. "It's been great be- cause every match is a big match."

"Every match is close. Last year we played a lot of 17-1 or 16-2 matches, and for me it's so much more fun to play 10-8 or 9- 9 matches. It doesn't matter if you come out on the winning end of it because it's just so much more exciting," the coach said.

While he embraces the new league setup, Schnaible said he wasn't too happy when the Tri-Val- ley teams went from Division IV to Division III for the postseason.

"Personally, I don't agree with the move at all," he said. "But what are you going to do? If we were still in Division IV, I think we'd be a legitimate contender to win the whole thing."

Early in the season, Oak Park was led by its singles players while the doubles teams struggled somewhat. But now that a month has passed, the Eagle doubles players are starting to find a rhythm and the team is starting to play well as a whole, No. 1 singles player Alex Hair said.

"It's coming together really well," said Hair, who's only lost one singles match this season. "The team hasn't lost yet and the doubles are starting to play much better.

"The doubles were trying to be too aggressive early on and they were hitting the ball too hard and missing a lot. But they're not do- ing that anymore. Now they're getting it back in play every time," Hair said.

In addition to Hair, freshman Rachel Pan has been working as the No. 2 singles player while Cynthia Orgel competes at the team's No. 3.

"They are carrying the load for us," Schnaible said. "Combined in eight matches, I think they lost a total of four or five sets."

Sasha Arya and Lily Okamuro are the Eagles' No. 1 doubles team.

Hannah Sacher and Tiffany Chang have played together for quite a while and are being uti- lized as the No. 2 doubles pair- ing. Bailee Ford and Adee Rozou serve as the No. 3 team.

"Lily Okamuro has really stepped up," Schnaible said. "She's been a nice surprise and every week she gets a little bit better."

"With Bailee and Adee, the co- hesiveness is starting to get bet- ter, too," the coach said. "Those two are doing real well."

Following today's matchup vs. Villanova, Oak Park will have another tough test next week when they play matches against Newbury Park, Malibu and Nordhoff.