In their first league game of the season, the Mustangs lost 1-17 against Diamond Bar on March 17.
The game started out with the standard starting lineups, where the Mustangs served poorly and committed multiple double faults. At the end of the first round, the Mustangs were scoreless and each team took an extended break due to the high heat. The Brahmas continued their hot streak into the second round; however, singles one junior Timmothy Chen hit a dropshot to seal the set 6-3 in Walnut’s first win of the match.
“It was really hot, so everyone was suffering badly. A lot of people felt sick after they finished because the weather was extremely hot” singles two junior David Liu said.
Going into the third round, Diamond Bar came out consistent and hit deep shots. The Mustangs were unable to respond and made a lot of forced errors, such as shots into the net and wide. Many starters also subbed out of the game by the last round, as the weather was seen as too hot. The game ended with a score of 1-17.
“I was surprised by the quality of tennis that Diamond Bar had. I knew they were going to be good, but I didn’t think they were going to be that good,” head coach Joseph Fasheh said. “Next time, we’ll be more prepared and ready for them. ”
