Malibu High won the semifinal and final in games on their way to the Division 7 championship
The Malibu High girls tennis team closed their season by putting their rackets down and picking up a trophy.
tennis team display their CIF Division 7 Championship patches, while head coach Joyce Stickney (right, kneeling)
hold the championship plague after the Sharks beat Magnolia High on Nov. 18. Photos Courtesy of Joyce Stickney
The Sharks won the CIF Southern Section Division 7 girls tennis championship on Nov. 18 at Santa Monica High. They did so in dramatic fashion.
The Sharks and the Magnolia High Grizzles were tied 9-9 at the end of 18 sets of singles and doubles tennis. So, officials tallied and added up the number of games the teams’ players won in the sets to determine who would be crowned champions — Malibu won 83-77.
Sharks head coach Joyce Stickney said the title win was a true team victory.
“When you tie, you have to count the games, so that is really when it becomes a team sport,” she said. “Even if your player lost a set, if they got five games or four games, that is going to help the team. I’m really pleased it went our way.”
Malibu sophomore Anna Maria Mitrovic said all the team’s hard work this year was rewarded.
“The hours we put in at practice, the hours we put in off from practice, really fighting together as a team to make it paid off,” she said. “We did it.”
Sharks junior Rylan Borress noted how the championship victory featured Malibu conquering a hurdle they had throughout their 2024 campaign.
“The team’s biggest challenge was being able to still try to win points when you are already feeling defeated,” she said. “It was something we worked on all season — to keep a good attitude and maybe have a chance of coming back in a game.”
The Sharks and their supporters cried, cheered, and hugged when they received the championship trophy. They also posed for photos. Malibu’s title-winning boon included CIF championship T-shirts and patches.
Malibu senior Logan Epstein said she and her teammates are proud of their title triumph.
“It is definitely history-making for our school,” she said. “Everyone stayed motivated, dedicated, and sacrificed somuch time for the team this season.”
Malibu started its playoff run after a bye in the first round.
They had a 15-3 victory over Jurupa Hill in the second round on Nov. 8, and then beat Westminster 11-7 in the quarterfinals on Nov. 11. Two days later, the Sharks tied Godinez 9-9 in the semifinals, but defeated them 77-69 in a tally of games won to advance to the final.
Stickney said Malibu’s championship run wasn’t easy.
“We had to fight the whole way,” she said.
The title game was originally scheduled to be held on Nov. 15 in Claremont, but after the Sharks arrived for the match, it was canceled due to the weather. Instead, of making the trek back to Malibu, the team had to wait a few hours for a bus to pick them up. The players used the time to nap, look at their opponent’s stats, and braid each other’s hair.
Stickney said the match’s cancelation might have worked in the Sharks’ favor since they got to compete in Santa Monica instead.
“Instead of playing in a foreign place, we were a lot more comfortable,” she explained. “We were ready.”
The Sharks finished the season with a 14-6 record and finished the regular season second in the Citrus Coast League standings to Carpinteria. They had tough league matches against the league Carpinteria, Nordoff, and Hueneme.
The squad’s coach and players said the team had a bumpy start to the season. When inexperienced players became acclaimed to the sport and the doubles combinations got coordinated, the Sharks bonded, Stickney remembered.
“They came together really well in spirt and camaraderie,” she said. “It was beautiful to watch them get to know each other. They played to the best of their ability.”
In addition to Mitrovic, Borress, and Epstein, Malibu’s team included freshmen Eden Porat, Freyja Jacobsen, and Lukensia Michaels Rhodes; sophomore Cole Ovsiowitz, junior Solenn Morgenthaler; and seniors Gigi Quartararo, Ginger Levy, Mia Lescure, Payton Pollack, Sasha Mendez, and Helena Joujonroche.
Mitrovic, the team’s No. 1 singles player, had a dominant 6-2, 6-0, 6-0 win in the championship. On Monday, she hit the court for a CIF singles tournament.
“She is a fierce competitor,” Stickney said. “She only lost one match the whole season. She loves the sport.”
Malibu will have a team dinner to celebrate their championship. Borress is looking beyond that.
“I can’t wait to help and lead the team next season,” she said.
