Pima women’s tennis coach Gretchen Schantz believes her team is battle-tested and ready for the ACCAC Region 1 Tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday at Paseo Racquet Center in Glendale. That’s what will happen with a balanced regular-season schedule littered with unfamiliar opponents.
The familiar ones might even be more difficult to maneuver.
An 11-5 regular season included matchups with San Diego’s Mesa and Grossmont College and a matchup with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. But it also featured a sweep at the hands of Mesa Community College — that’s Mesa, Arizona; not San Diego — whom the Aztecs hope to meet again in the regional finals.
“If everything goes right,” Schantz said with a laugh. “It should be a great chance to meet them again, and now is the time to beat them. They have a complete international lineup this year.
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“We’ve done better every time we’ve played them, and we get them again.”
The Aztecs enter the playoffs on a high, coming off a 9-0 shutout at Paradise Valley. It was the team’s fifth shutout of the season, and four other wins this year came by an 8-1 margin.
“Paradise Valley was kind of a routine win, but it’s nice to be able to say that,” Schantz said. “Especially in our confernece. We were very strong from the bottom of the lineup to the top.
“We have an all-around solid team. It takes a lot to get that.”
Hong on top
Even three individual tournament titles this season hasn’t been enough for Desiree Hong to shock her coach. Pima women’s golf coach Rick Price expected great things out of his freshman sensation, so, no, three wins doesn’t leave his jaw on the ground.
It’s pretty good, though.
“To be honest with you, no, I anticipated that’s what she was going to do,” he said. “I assumed she’d probably win all of them, and she almost has.
“The two she hasn’t won, she had a bad hole in the first, and another girl just played incredibly in the second.”
Monday will offer her a prime opportunity to add a fourth title to the list this season as the Aztecs host the Pima Invitational this week.
It’s the first time the team’s home event has been the last on the schedule before playoffs, and Price said they’re “looking forward to it.”
Primarily Hong, who came up in Price’s junior golf program and prepped at Sahuaro.
“It doesn’t matter the sport it is — once you’ve won before, you know how to win,” Price said. “She expects to win. She doesn’t hit it as far as some other girls at her level, but she’s consistent. She’s translated to all of our success. The competition within our conference is better than it’s ever been, and it’s been critical to have her play the way she has.”
Softball team surging
After a 2-4 stretch in late March/early April, the Aztecs have found their groove once more as they head into a Saturday doubleheader at Central Arizona.
Pima is currently riding a four-game winning streak, with a 23-2 margin over the last three games as the lineup has continued its success behind Courtney Brown. Brown had seven hits last week, including three multihit games.
Things have been a bit up-and-down for the Pima baseball team in recent weeks, after a three-game winning streak seemed to portend a turned corner.
The Aztecs are 6-4 since the streak. Things might not be settled one way or another for a while: On Saturday, they face a Mesa team they’ve already split a doubleheader against once this year.
Stallworth collects more hardware
The postseason kudos have not stopped for Sydni Stallworth.
The standout point guard for Pima’s third-place women’s basketball squad, Stallworth was named an NJCAA All-American for her outstanding play last season.
Stallworth averaged 16 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists as a freshman out of Palo Verde High.
She earlier won ACCAC Div. II player of the year honors after collecting several player of the week awards.
