The girls varsity tennis team wrapped up a season defined by growth, resilience, and determination. This determination took them all the way back to the CIF Los Angeles City Section Championships. Entering the postseason as the No. 2 seed with a 13-1 record, the Highlanders advanced all the way to the Open Division final before falling to Palisades Charter High School on October 30 with a score of 24 ½-5.
This loss came in what has become one of the most consistent championship matchups in city history: Granada Hills Charter (GHC) and Palisades Charter High School have combined for 24 upper-division titles and have met in 14 of the last 15 CIF finals.
This season, however, marked a transitional year for the Highlanders. The team returned with a significantly different roster after nine seniors graduated, including the top two singles players who helped GHC to back-to-back Open Division titles the previous two seasons.
Despite that turnover, the Highlanders fought their way through the post season. In the semifinal on October 28, GHC defeated Venice High School 17 ½-12 to secure their spot in the championship match.
“I see a lot of new players stepping up and just bringing the team together especially now that we have less upperclassmen,” senior Sofia Hakobyan said. “I see a lot of just overall involvement and leadership.”
Players said that the run to the finals showed what the team could accomplish when pressured in close matches. Some of the most memorable wins were determined from a single match point.
“I’m very proud of how hardworking the team is,” senior captain Isabella Simon said. “For example, in one of our games against El Camino High School, we were tied 3-3 and one of the singles players, a freshman, had a lot of pressure to secure the win. But through her hard work, we won 4-3.”
Off the court, the team continued to develop chemistry and a supportive atmosphere that the athletes say made the victories, and the heartbreak, more meaningful.
“Our team clicked very quickly, allowing us to be undefeated the entire regular season with a record of 12-0,” junior captain Samantha Cho said. “Not only were our doubles teams close and solid, as a team, we were also always supportive of one another on and off the court, pushing each other to always play our best.”
Many players found motivation in the person standing beside them. Their partners have become not just teammates but rather inspirations to keep improving
“My biggest inspiration is my partner Sofia,” sophomore Nicolette Yeremyan said. “She inspires me to keep going on because she has dealt with so many struggles. With everything she’s balancing, including her classes and responsibilities, I want to prove to her that I can do this and that I can accomplish a win.”
Even without a three-peat championship, the athletes say the season represented something deeper than a final score.
“I love to wear ‘Highlanders’ on the back of my jersey,” Simon said. “When I go to an away game, I want everyone to know I’m from Granada. It gives you a sense of pride knowing that you have found a place within your team.”
As the Highlanders look ahead, the team hopes to build on the foundation that brought them back to another city final.
They seek to prove that success isn’t measured by wins but by the heart they bring to every match. This year’s team definitely proved that have that heart.