SHP girls tennis team punches ticket into CCS tournament

Sacred Heart Prep's girls' tennis team made it clear from the onset that it was playing in the Central Coast Section team tournament, which starts Monday at various sites. 

The Gators (13-6) were likely to advance anyway after finishing second to Menlo School in the West Bay Athletic League Foothill Division. 

Notre Dame San Jose, champions of the WBAL Skyline Division, just needed its shot at the league's second automatic bid.

SHP opened with relatively easy wins in the first set at all seven spots in the lineup, three by 6-0 scores, three by 6-1 scores and a 6-2 score. All seven went on to win as the host Gators beat Notre Dame San Jose, 7-0, in a WBAL playoff match Thursday.

Sacred Heart Prep won without No. 1 singles player Lindsey Lynch, who will be playing in the CCS singles tournament along with Isa Robinson, who took over at the top of the lineup and earned a tough three-set victory, 6-2, 4-6, 10-3.

Katherine Salisbury moved into the No. 2 spot and won, 6-0, 6-3. Noorayn Jafri won, 6-1, 6-0, at No. 3 and Ella Sheehan made it a clean sweep at No. 4 singles with a 6-1, 6-1 win.

The No. 1 doubles team of Nathalie Rotenberg and Emmy McGrath also led a sweep. They won their match, 6-0, 6-3. Lily Lynch and Nathalie Dias won 6-1, 6-0 and Lindsay Marcus and Sarah McGrath completed things with a 6-1, 6-0 victory.

The seeding meeting for the team and individual tournaments will be held Saturday morning.

Lynch and Robinson will both play in the singles tournament.