In the world of high school tennis, Piedmont High School has been making waves. Their doubles team of Kate Jumper and Arianna Kortum showed exceptional skill, reaching the semifinals of the North Coast Section Division 2 girls tennis tournament. However, their journey ended there as they lost to the eventual champions, Ann and Jane McDermott of Marin Academy.

Tournament Beginnings and Early Victories

The tournament kicked off on November 18 at Vintage High-Napa. Kate Jumper and Arianna Kortum faced a tough challenge in the first round against College Prep's Sophia Britton and Gia Chhabra. But with their determination and skill, they emerged victorious, winning 6-3, 6-1. This was just the beginning of their remarkable run. In the next round, they defeated Arcata's Iris Besmer and Kloee Donnelly with a score of 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. The final set was a nail-biter as it was nearly called for darkness, but the girls managed to finish it off just in time. Coach Jim Landes was proud of their performance.

McDermott's Dominance

On November 19, the McDermotts showed their strength by powering their way to a 6-2, 6-0 victory. They continued their winning streak by downing Lick-Wilmerding-San Francisco's Gigi Donohoe and Maahir Gupta with a score of 7-5, 7-5 to claim the championship. It was a tough defeat for Piedmont's doubles team, but they gave it their all.

Singles Tournament Challenges

Piedmont's Carolina Romanczuk had a tough first round in the singles tournament. She drew top seed Lily Bazemore of North Coast Prep-Arcata and lost, 6-2, 6-0. Coach Landes was impressed with her performance in the first four games where she surprised her opponent with fabulous, deep groundstrokes. He emphasized that she just needs to keep practicing at that level and she will improve.

West Alameda County Conference Championships

Kate Jumper and Arianna Kortum qualified for the NCS tournament by taking second at the West Alameda County Conference championships from November 8-9. Carolina Romanczuk also qualified by finishing fourth, and Faith Chin was fifth in singles. This showed the strength of the Piedmont tennis team.

NCS Division 2 Team Playoffs

The Highlanders competed in the NCS Division 2 team playoffs. In the first round on November 12, they beat visiting Urban-San Francisco with a score of 6-1. Kate Jumper played No. 2 singles and defeated Greta Rechtin, 6-2, 6-2. Arianna Kortum also played singles and won the No. 3 match over Riley Burnett, 6-1, 6-3. Faith Chin beat Olivia Stanton at No. 4, 6-0, 6-2. However, Urban's Phoebe Miller downed Carolina Romanczuk in the No. 1 match, 6-4, 6-3.In doubles, Madeline Tran and Emma Chan beat Hazel Richter and Valerie Cunningham, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2. Inara Mehta and Abigail Call defeated Kaya Downs and Charlotte Lefkowicz at No. 2, 6-2, 6-1. And Alina Shanid and Lila Rosen won the No. 3 match by default.

Second Round Challenges

On November 15, visiting Marin Academy gave Piedmont a tough fight in the second round. The Wildcats took three of four singles matches. No. 1 Eloise Sent beat Carolina Romanczuk, 6-4, 6-1. Amelia Thomas defeated Kate Jumper at No. 2, 6-2, 6-4. Ann McDermott downed Arianna Kortum at No. 3, 6-3, 6-1. But Faith Chin managed to beat Sasha Seid at No. 4, 6-3, 6-1.In doubles, Marin Academy's Jane McDermott and Lily Weaver downed Samantha Huynh and Emma Eisemon at No. 1, 6-3, 6-1. Lily Weaver and Rahi Haddad beat Madeline Tran and Emma Chan at No. 2, 7-6 (4), 6-3. Inara Mehta and Abigail Call defeated Chloe George and Walker Young at No. 3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.Despite the challenges, Piedmont finished the season with a record of 10-10. Their journey was filled with ups and downs, but they showed great sportsmanship and determination throughout.