The girls tennis teams from Redwood High and the Branson School are set to renew their storied rivalry after both squads secured victories on Wednesday to advance to the coveted MCAL championship match on Friday. The Giants, who dominated the regular season with an undefeated record, booked their spot following a decisive 6-1 triumph over San Marin. Meanwhile, the depth-laden Branson squad leaned on its singles and doubles prowess to edge past Tam 4-3 in the other semifinal showdown.

Marin's Tennis Titans Collide in Epic MCAL Finals Showdown

Redwood's Undefeated Giants Secure Finals Berth

The Redwood High girls tennis team, who cruised through the MCAL regular season without a single defeat, secured their spot in the championship match with a commanding 6-1 victory over San Marin. The Giants' depth proved to be the difference, as Alessia Balliet, Jennie Liu, and Julia Laury all picked up wins at the Nos. 2-4 singles positions. Redwood's top two players, Jordan Marotto and Ella Povio, teamed up at No. 1 doubles to secure another crucial point for the Giants.San Marin's lone bright spot came courtesy of their standout No. 1 singles player, Clare Zhu, who remained unbeaten on the season with a hard-fought 6-2, 7-6 triumph over Julia Povio.

Branson's Balanced Attack Propels Them to Finals

The Branson School girls tennis team, known for their well-rounded roster, also booked their ticket to the MCAL championship match with a 4-3 victory over Tam in the other semifinal. The Branson squad relied on their depth, as Katie Warrin, Audrey Gilmor, and Paloma Vano-Rice all secured wins at the Nos. 2-4 singles positions. The No. 3 doubles pairing of Talia Schneiter and Alexandra Sebastiani also contributed a crucial point to the Branson cause.Redwood had the upper hand in the regular-season meetings, winning both matchups by a score of 5-2. Branson's Katie Warrin was a bright spot for the team, picking up victories at No. 2 singles in both encounters. Redwood's Jordan Marotto also shone, winning one match at No. 1 singles and another at No. 1 doubles alongside Ella Povio.

Archie Williams Rallies to Reach MCAL Boys Water Polo Finals

In the MCAL boys water polo semifinals, top-seeded Archie Williams overcame a spirited challenge from Tam, rallying to a thrilling 8-6 victory. Nate Greenberg's back-to-back goals in the final period proved to be the difference, as the Peregrine Falcons booked their spot in the championship match against the winner of the late semifinal between Redwood and Terra Linda.Archie Williams found themselves trailing for the majority of the game, but a penalty goal by Hayden Long in the final second of the third period tied the score at 4-4. Greenberg then stepped up and scored the winning goal just a minute into the final frame, with a shot from the top of the arc that glanced off the Tam goaltender's fingers.Jake Carrera and Hayden Long both found the back of the net twice for the Falcons, who also received goals from Vincent Krilanovich and Nolan Anderson. Tam's Reed Hanna was the standout performer, scoring four goals for the Red-tailed Hawks, who also got contributions from Andrew Sternfels and Jasper Feldman.

Marin Catholic Alum Calcaterra Traded to Santa Cruz Warriors

In professional basketball news, former Marin Catholic High standout Joey Calcaterra has been traded from the South Bay Lakers to the Santa Cruz Warriors. Calcaterra, who finished his MCAL career as the league's all-time leading scorer and was named MCAL Player of the Year in 2017, went on to play at the University of San Diego before transferring to Connecticut and winning a national championship in 2023.Last season, Calcaterra averaged 3.8 points in 14 minutes per game for the South Bay Lakers. He will now look to make an impact with the Santa Cruz Warriors, who open their season on November 8th against the Valley Suns.

Dominican University Teams Suffer Tough Losses

In college sports, it was a challenging day for the Dominican University athletic programs. The men's soccer team fell to Concordia Irvine by a score of 2-1, despite a late goal from Diego Grande and outshooting their opponents 21-11. The women's soccer team also suffered a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Concordia Irvine, with Ireland O'Donnell scoring the lone goal for the Penguins.The women's volleyball team also came up short, losing a hard-fought five-set match against Concordia Irvine, 17-25, 25-19, 25-20, 13-25, 11-15. Camille Rivers had a strong performance with 33 assists and 11 digs, while Reagan Macha led the team with 12 kills and Rein Bocage contributed 21 digs.