Aptos completed the regular season series sweep against Scotts Valley following a 5-2 victory in Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League action Oct. 15.
In singles play, Aptos freshman Kiana Safari won her match in straight sets (6-0, 6-1) over Aila Papadopoulous at the No. 1 spot. Fellow teammates senior Aviana Andrews and junior Isabella Calderon both won their matches in a three-set tiebreaker at No. 2 and 4, respectively.
In doubles action, Aptos’ tandem of Natalia Calderon and Charlotte Long won at No. 1 doubles, while Neci Hoeptner and Julia Blevins won at No. 3.
With the win, the Mariners improved to 7-0 in SCCAL play to remain atop of the league standings.
“We just want to win the league, and get better. Bond with each other and just get to know each other, and become a family,” said Andrews, who was named this season’s team captain.
The Mariners’ veteran said her biggest goal was to unite the team, which is focused on repeating as league champion.
“This is a bigger, better, stronger Avi this year,” Aptos coach Tammi Brown said. “Her groundstrokes are more beautiful, her serve is better and more consistent, and she’s team captain.”
Aptos junior Coral Collins suffered her first loss of the season after she retired from her match against Erin Szymanski at No. 3 singles. Aracely Ritchie and Gia Arista fell to Scotts Valley’s Skylar Dufour and Montserrat Burgos-Saavedra at No. 2 doubles.
It was the first time this season the Mariners lost a match in league play, snapping a 42-match win streak.
Despite the loss, Collins is having a successful season in singles action. And let’s not forget she’s still the defending SCCAL Tournament doubles champion.
However, she is missing her partner Holly Hegna after she departed due to graduation. Aptos also lost the reigning singles champion in Tiana Smith, who was the dark horse going into last year’s league tournament.
Yet, it seems as if the Mariners continue to storm past the competition. The varsity team currently has 13 players on the roster, and the junior varsity team is 27 deep.
“They’re all just doing so great, and I feel like every single year we’re just so blessed to have such a good team,” Collins said.
Some teammates had to step in for Collins, who had to sit out in the beginning of the season after falling ill. It was a difficult start but now she’s getting back into the groove of things.
“I’m getting my feet underneath me, and it’s starting to all work out again,” she said.
Aptos continues to mow through their league opponents and are on the cusp of repeating as SCCAL champion. Brown said the veteran players such as Andrews and Collins know the ropes and what it takes to get to that point.
“I don’t have to expect anything of them because they just do it naturally, it just happens,” Brown said. “It makes my life easy and it makes it comfortable for the new people on the team.”
During the impressive run, Safari improved to 6-0 in league action competing at the top spot, which she challenged for and earned prior to the start of the 2024 campaign.
“I know some places, and some areas, everyone’s different. Some people might not like a freshman be No. 1,” Safari said. “I feel like [my teammates have] all been supportive. We’ve all supported each other and it’s a great team.”
Safari admitted there was some pressure competing at No. 1 in just her first season at Aptos because it is such a small town. Plus, her brothers, Kourosh and Koosha, had very successful careers on the Mariners boys’ team.
Safari said the nice thing about having older siblings is she receives free tennis lessons. But jokes aside, she mentioned being able to practice with her brothers has been inspirational to her.
Safari said her oldest brother, Kourosh, has been the strictest of the two only because he’s really on top of his game. As for Koosha, he can get pretty detailed on how to fix an issue, rather than just point it out.
“They push me to my full potential, which I really love,” Safari said.
Brown threw her newest ace player Safari into the lion’s den from the get-go and she’s been up for the challenge ever since then.
“I’ve known Kiana for a long time, and she’s a gamer,” Brown said. “She doesn’t seem nervous about it one teeny weeny bit.”
Aptos (8-1) has three league matches remaining, starting with Harbor on Oct. 17. The final week of league play begins with a contest at Santa Cruz on Oct. 22, followed by the regular season and home finale against Soquel on Oct. 24. All three matches are scheduled at 4pm.
The SCCAL Tournament begins Nov. 5 with the first and second rounds starting at 9am, followed by the finals on the following day at 3:30pm. All the matches take place at Imperial Courts in Aptos.
“We’re really looking forward to the season with [Safari],” Brown said. “If everything goes as one would imagine, I would think she would have a very good showing at the end-of-season tournament.”
