The Menlo girls varsity tennis team placed fourth in the 32-team all-doubles Golden State Classic, hosted by the school this past weekend, falling 3-2 to Canyon Crest High School in the third-place match.
The team was undefeated going into the tournament and had just won the Tyler Nii Invitational, dethroning last year’s champion, Los Altos High School.
Head coach Francis Sargeant said that he has taken a different approach in his second year coaching the team. Sargeant previously served as the assistant coach for the UC Berkeley men’s team for three years before becoming the Program Director of Boys and Girls Tennis in 2024.
“It was a big adjustment, because I went from coaching college players for the last eight to nine years to coaching high school,” Sargeant said. “Coming into this season, I have a much better relationship with the team, which really helps on the court.”
Senior team captain Elise Chen was disappointed with the loss but proud of the spirit and energy that the team showed. “We met a lot of good teams, and obviously, you wish the result was better, but the thing I’m most proud of was how loud and energetic the team was,” she said.
