VILLA PARK – Behind dominating performances from senior Rachel Kim and newcomer Constance Branstine, Villa Park overwhelmed Canyon, 16-2, in a Crestview League matchup at Villa Park High on Tuesday afternoon.
“I was very impressed, especially knowing what Canyon has done,” Villa Park coach Chris Tibbetts explained. “Obviously they did lose everybody from last year, so they have a young team. But I was impressed with how we played.”
With nine starters having graduated from last season’s CIF-SS Division 2 runner-up team, a Comanches roster once loaded with talented upperclassmen now features skilled youngsters who lack varsity playing experience.
“It’s a lopsided match in terms of experience,” Canyon coach Wil Wilkins said. “Chris is doing some real good things with his team. They’re very talented.”
In the three previous seasons, when both were in the Century League, Canyon won the team title while Kim captured the singles title.
This season, the teams are together in the newly formed Crestview League, and Kim is looking to sweep both titles.
Kim and Branstine combined to go 6-0 on the singles side Tuesday, winning 36 of a possible 37 games.
Branstine, a five-star junior transfer from Crean Lutheran, gives Villa Park another legitimate singles player behind Kim, and those two players seemingly make the Spartans the favorite to win their first league title since 2004.
Villa Park improved to 10-0, losing just one set in singles and one set in doubles action.
Contact the writer: kconnolly@ocregister.com
