Vail Christian girls tennis advances to 3A state team quarterfinal

Vail Christian dominated Dawson School in the first round of the 3A girls tennis team tournament on Wednesday, but that doesn’t mean the individual matches were short on drama.

“It was a lot,” Sabrina Nabonsal said after the No. 1 doubles marathon match. Her and Olivia Zajac — new partners playing with new rackets — endured for 2 1/2 hours before walking away with the 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 win over Caitlin Budacz-Kauflin and Soraya Payvar.

“I think the biggest thing that helped us win was I moved back on the volleys,” Nabonsal said.

“I was doing better at net and she was better on the baseline,” Zajac explained. “I work well under pressure and she works well more relaxed, so that kind of worked out for us.”

The Saints cruised to a 6-1 win over the Mustangs in Edwards, winning all but the No. 1 singles match, which was another epic in its own right. Jessie Allen was looking for revenge on Isabelle Jacobson after a 9-7 loss on April 7 at the Centaurus Invitational. Allen won the first set 7-6 (7-2) before falling 6-2, 6-1 late. Still, the Saints — who finished second in the team state competition last year — had a lot to smile about.

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“Last night was a great post-season start for our girls,” stated assistant coach Kirsten Webster. “We are so thankful for our tennis community and for Homestead Court Club hosting us.”

The Saints entered the 16-team tournament as the No. 5 seed, boasting a 9-1 record. A mid-season lineup change forced Nabonsal and Zajac to pair up for the first time last month, but the sophomores have clearly gelled.

“It took us a second,” Nabonsal said before Zajac added, “It’s been amazing. We’ve been friends for a long time.”

The Saints’ No. 2 singles Alexa Blanch controlled Olivia Kirby from start to finish, securing a 6-0, 6-1 victory. It was the second time the two faced off this season.

“I think I played a lot better this time,” said Blanch, who also won the first meeting. “I just feel like I was more focused this time and worked more on my footwork.”

Blanch, a No. 2 doubles player last year, spent a portion of her summer in Spain and worked hard at various camps and clinics throughout the fall in jumping to the solo venture.

“Doubles was great and I really loved it, but I really wanted to be singles,” the sophomore stated. She hopes to follow in the footsteps of her older brother, a 2023 state champion at No. 2 singles and future Colorado Mesa recruit, Daniel.

“I really want to play college tennis,” Alexa Blanch said.

Heidi Iverson defeated Jojo Jenkins 6-3, 6-1 to round out the singles matches. On the outdoor courts, the freshmen duo of Autumn Woods and Camden Allen made quick work of Chloe Sebek and Sophia Payvar (6-1, 6-2) to win at No. 2 doubles. No. 3 doubles Ella Pecinka and Paige Asbury (6-2, 7-5) and the No. 4 team of Chloe Demmler and Anabelle Woodbridge (6-2, 6-2) also won their matches for the Saints in straight sets.

“I think people played really well today,” Blanch said. “They’re really tough opponents.”

“It was so great to play at home,” head coach J.D. Webster added. “Our girls were tough and resilient. We are excited to make another run for the state championship.” 

The journey continues on Friday as Vail Christian heads to No. 4 Holy Family. Zajac’s doubles team fell in last spring’s individual state championship to Holy Family’s Kenna Dietz and Raelynn Pickup.

“So, we have some beef,” Zajac said.

Nabonsal, who also finished as a runner-up in No. 2 doubles at the individual states, wants revenge as well. No. 3 Colorado Academy, which stole last year’s state team title from the Saints with a 4-3 win in the championship, moved on Wednesday with a 6-1 victory over D’Evelyn. The Mustangs face No. 11 Lutheran on Friday. On the other side of the bracket, No. 1 Peak to Peak — a team the Saints defeated last year in the semifinals — hosts No. 9 Eaton.

“Definitely feels like we’re under the radar,” Nabonsal said before explaining that the squad’s playoff hopes might hinge on getting the freshmen on board.

“They’re really good, but we want it really bad since we got second last year,” she continued. “So, we need to get them wanting it really bad.”