By Jenna Baker & Nicole Kalosh

The Granada Hills Charter (GHC) Varsity Girls Tennis Team beat Palisades Charter High School in the CIF finals on October 25 with a score of 16-11. The game took place at Balboa Sports Center in Encino.

This is the team’s 13th City Section championship, but the first since 2019. The girls went into the tournament 13-0 and returned victorious with an undefeated record for this season.
The girls have consistently scored second place in the City Finals for the last three years but were victorious this time. Last season, the Highlanders were within 1.5 points of winning City, so they had even more drive to beat Palisades this year.

“As a member of the team for 3 years, it’s an incredible feeling being able to win the finals of CIF with a team that I love so much,” junior Leah Lazaryan said. “All of the girls on the team were so fundamental in the process of winning and it just shows how we are such a tight group. If it wasn’t for the support of all the girls while matches were happening, I don’t think we could have gotten to win the finals. Honestly, I can’t stop thinking about the win; we can’t wait to go to state.”

Three sets in this City Finals game went to tiebreakers, with the Highlanders winning each match.
It has become almost routine for the Highlanders to compete against Palisades Charter High School, as they have met 12 times out of the last 13 City Finals.

“They’ve grown every year, the culture on the team has been great, very team-oriented,” Coach Troy Aiken said. “That’s been really good, and they’re getting better. We are looking forward to going to State.”

The team has many talented players to help them move forward against the competition, including juniors Georgia Brown and Priscilla Grinner, who won the doubles championship last year and remained undefeated this year.

“I am so excited about our team going to state this year,” junior Josephine Books said. “I believe the reason the team was so successful was because of the amount of hard work that was put in during practices, and how each player was always ready to be their best competitive self.”

Coach Aiken joined the team in 2020. Especially now in the post-season, the girls are happy to have an experienced tennis player as their coach who can help them not just with form and technique but strategy. Coach Aiken played Division 1 tennis and won a national championship at Pepperdine University in 2006. With 15 years of coaching experience and four years at GHC, Aiken has seen the team evolve and is hopeful for their future.

As the team looks ahead to the future, they are optimistic about building on their success. With the 2023 City Section championship secured, they are poised to face new challenges and opportunities.

Their hard work, dedication, and team spirit have brought them to this moment and they are excited to share even greater achievements.