Mary Kong and Gabirielle Pascual teamed for what may be the biggest win in Hanford West High School's tennis history Tuesday. The doubles team defeated Highland's Elizabeth Barrientos and Danielle Byers 5-7, 6-1, 10-2 in the No. 1 doubles match to give the Huskies a 5-4 over the Bakersfield school in a Central Section Division III semifinal.

The top-seeded Huskies will play for the title at home on Thursday against Tehachapi, which defeated No. 2 seed Porterville 6-3.

Going to a tiebreaker for the win was in keeping with how things went on a blustery day.

"Of the nine matches, five went to a third-set tiebreaker," said Hanford West coach Marc Herron. They just wanted it. This is what gave us trouble last year, third-set tiebreakers."

The teams split the singles matches.

For Hanford West, Kong defeated Barrientos 6-3, 6-2; Pascual beat Nicole Hendricks 3-6, 6-0, 10-2; and Crystal Prado defeated Melanie Reyna 6-4, 4-6, 10-2.

In the other singles matches, Highland's Sophia Hussain beat Jessica Stein 6-0, 6-1; Miranda Banuelos defeated Emily Silva 6-3, 6-4; and Eden Balmer beat Veronica Vasquez 7-5, 6-4.

The two doubles matches were finished before Kong and Pascual decided things.

Hanford West's Stephanie Garcia and Vanessa Hernandez beat Barrientos and Silva 6-4, 2-6, 10-7; and Hussain and Evelyn Herrera beat Melanie Reynolds and Banuelos 7-5, 5-7, 4-10.

"It was a very competitive match. You have to give credit to Highland," Herron said. "We really had to adjust for the conditions. I hope things are better on Thursday."

(Nov. 5, 2008)