Ralston Valley girls tennis hopes to serve up some history

ARVADA — Ralston Valley’s girls tennis team is attempting to make history.

Cherry Creek has absolutely dominated the girls tennis state landscape winning 39 largest school state team titles since 1976. Fairview — Class 5A team title in 2016 — is the only other school that has won the 5A team title other than Cherry Creek since 1997.

Ralston Valley in is position to break Creek’s current state championship streak. The Mustangs are the No. 1 seed for the 5A girls tennis team state tournament. Ralston Valley advanced to the semifinals Friday, April 26, cruising to a 6-1 victory over No. 8-seeded Regis Jesuit at the Apex Tennis Center.

“These girls have been working for the last couple of years knowing down the road that this opportunity might be here,” Ralston Valley coach Kim Greason said of the Mustangs on the brink of playing for a Class 5A girls tennis team state title.

Ralston Valley will host No. 4 Rocky Mountain in the semifinals Tuesday, May 7, at the Apex Tennis Center.

Jeffco Public Schools has never won a largest school girls tennis team state title. D’Evelyn has captured four Class 3A state team titles in recent years.

“We would love to not only represent Jeffco, but all the other schools that haven’t had that chance to have the opportunity to grab that first place (trophy),” Greason said. “Battling Creek all the time is tough. They are still strong even being the No. 2 seed. They are going to be dialed in.”

In the other side of the state tournament bracket, No. 3 Valor Christian took a 5-2 quarterfinal win over Fossil Ridge on Friday. The Fairview at Cherry Creek match was postponed until Monday, April 29. The state championship team match is scheduled for May 14 at the Denver Tennis Park.

Being in new territory at the No. 1 seed is something Ralston Valley has embraced.

“We talked lot about that,” Greason said of the Mustangs holding the top seed. “One of the girls came up with the quote from Billy Jean King, ‘Pressure is a privilege.’ I feel like our girls instead of feeling like it’s pressure, they have earned it and now they have to own it and prove it.”

Spearheading the Mustangs’ line-up is No. 1 single players and senior Ally Lowe. The lefty actually clinched Ralston Valley advancing into the state semifinals with her straight-set victory over Rebecca Gelfer on Friday.

Lowe has been Ralston Valley’s No. 1 singles player since her freshman year. She is already a 3-time individual state qualifier advancing to the at least the quarterfinals each season.

“The team title is probably more important to me than an individual title,” Lowe said. “It has been Cherry Creek for the last several years. It would be really nice if we won it.”

Lowe has only lost three matches all season while holding down the No. 1 singles spot.

“She (Lowe) faces the best-of-the-best every match and she brings it,” Greason said of Lowe. “She is right there in the top four of the girls in the state I believe.”

Sophomores Emerson Bonner (No. 2 singles) and Scarlett Lutz (No. 3 singles) round of the Mustangs’ strong singles line-up. No. 1 doubles team of Adia Farling/Cass Gordon are in their second year playing together that has helped to make them a strong force.

No. 2 doubles Parker Lucas/Kylie Engleman, No. 3 doubles Tay Farling/Sofia Eola and No. 4 doubles Elaina Roboff/Kate Decker finish out the line-up for the Mustangs.

“This is probably the deepest team we have had in a number of years. We are very fortunate,” Greason said. “I put it on the girls. They have worked very hard in the off-season, playing year-round, playing tournaments, doing camps and clinics. I think that is what it takes nowadays, to have year-round players.”

This is the second year where the Colorado High School Activities Association has separated the team state title from the individual state tournament. Until last year, the team champion was determined from how many points teams accumulated during the individual state tournament.

“I like it a lot better,” Lowe said of the new team tournament state format. “You get to play teams as a team, instead of as individuals at the individual state tournament.”

Ralston Valley will host the 5A Region 3 tournament May 1 and 2 at the Apex Tennis Center next week. The Mustangs should qualify all seven of their positions to the individual state tournament May 9-11 at City Park in Denver.

“I feel like we are all playing super well right now,” Lowe said as the Mustangs prepare for regionals next week before the team state semifinal showdown against Rocky Mountain on May 7.

Fort Collins, Cherokee Trail, Horizon, Douglas County and Northglenn will be the other teams in the regional with Ralston Valley.

“It is tough, and you throw in the weather too,” Greason said of the busy next few weeks for the Mustangs on the tennis court. “There is a lot for these spring sport athletes to handle. Our girls have been balancing it really well.”

Only time will tell if Ralston Valley can balance its way to history and a state title.