Orland moves to 6-love on season

You can see it in the smiles and friendly banter exchanged during pre-match warm-ups. It is evident in the playful interchanges between players and coaches George Valentin and Adam Reimers. It is also on full display in the way they praised the efforts of any of their obviously out-manned Mercy opponents in Red Bluff on Thursday.

It's a genuine love of tennis, and the Orland High tennis team has it.

Oh yeah, beginning the season 6-0 doesn't hurt matters either.

The Lady Trojans chalked up three more this week, on successive days, besting Sutter 8-1 Tuesday, following that up with a rain-shortened 6-0 win over West Valley on Wednesday, and a 9-0 triumph over Mercy Thursday.

From the top to the bottom of the ladder on Tuesday, the Trojans got straight-set wins by Sophie Wackerman (6-0, 6-1); Taylor Goings (6-4, 6-1); Erica Vaquera (6-1, 6-0); Berenice Medina (6-4, 6-3); Stacey Ramirez (6-0, 6-2); and Cassandra Carper (6-1, 6-3).

Vaquera/Ramirez (8-2) and Carper/Lauren Ferry (8-3) recorded doubles win, while the pairing of Lisandra Melendrez and Gessica Leuschner was edged 8-9 (5-7).

Wednesday rains suspended play before completion of any doubles matches, but Orland already had its necessary wins following another sweep of singles.

Wackerman won 6-0, 6-2; Vaquera, 6-4, 6-1; Goings, 6-4, 6-2; Medina, 6-4, 6-2; Ramirez, 6-1, 6-2; and Carper, 6-2, 6-3.

Vaquera and Wackerman sat out Thursday, allowing Ferry and Melendrez to get some experience in varsity singles play, and all the Trojans responded, as Orland did not surrender a point to Mercy.

Orland hopes to continue its roll Tuesday in Willows, before returning home to host Gridley Thursday.

Orland 8, Sutter 1

Singles

Wackerman, O, d. Hilber, S, 6-0, 6-1; Goings, O, d. DeRee, S, 6-4, 6-1; Vaquera, O, d. Harrison, S, 6-1, 6-0; Medina, O, d. McCurry, S, 6-4, 6-3; Ramirez, O, d. N. Dodd, S, 6-0, 6-2; Carper, O, d. J. Dodd, S, 6-1, 6-3.

Doubles

Vaquera/Ramirez, O, d. Helber/DeRee, S, 8-2; Harrison/McCurry, O, d. Melendrez/Leuschner, O, 9-8 (7-5); Carper/Ferry, O, d. N. Dodd/J. Dodd, 8-3.

Orland 6, West Valley 0

Singles

Wackerman, O, d. Needham, WV, 6-0, 6-2; Vaquera, O, d. Richards, WV, 6-4, 6-1; Goings, O, d. Dethers, WV, 6-4, 6-2; Medina, O, d. McAuliffe, 6-4, 6-2; Ramirez, O, d. Minen, WV, 6-1, 6-2; Carper, O, d. Ekenbarger, WV, 6-2, 6-3.

Doubles

Suspended by rain.

Orland 9, Mercy 0

Singles

Goings, M, d. Cleek, M, 6-0, 6-0; Medina, O, d. Gaumer, M, 6-0, 6-0; Ramirez, O, d. Gasman, M, 6-0, 6-0; Carper, O, d. Ma, M, 6-0, 6-0; Ferry, O, d. Hernandez, M, 6-0, 6-0; Melendrez, O, d. Li, M, 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles

Ramirez/Carper, O, d. Cleek/Gaumer, M, 8-0; Medina/Ferry, O, d. Gasman/Hernandez, M, 8-0.