Kanan C.
As the sun’s final rays glimmered over Highway 24, the seventh and final game of College Prep’s rivalry match against the Head-Royce Jayhawks reached its apex. Gia Chhabra ‘26, College Prep’s #4 singles player, focused into a battle against her Head-Royce opponent, trading blows until the end. Even as she lost the first set, Gia’s determination never wavered into the rest of the match. Known for her killer volleys, Gia “never takes her foot off the gas pedal,” says teammate Mimi Campbell - “she doesn’t get down on herself and can handle stressful situations.” With the rest of the College Prep team and an excellent turnout of students cheering her on, Gia began the second set.
The Cougars this year are defined by a core of senior and junior leaders, with returning senior captains Angela Wang, Adele Beamer, Natalie Goldberg, and Mimi Campbell. At the start of each match, the seniors lead everyone in a meditation. Radar Sports gained some insight into the specifics of that meditation - “Light five birthday candles and pick a bunch of flowers,” says one of the seniors once the team has huddled into a circle, “Then smell the flowers and blow out the birthday candles.” The team is able to exhale out any sort of baggage they carry from the school day, and focus on tennis. Players I spoke to said it helps to ground them and provides a space for the team to come together before a high intensity match. I also spoke to a dedicated fan of the Cougars, Jayk Chen, who agreed about the Cougars’ successes, and told me – “CPS tennis has had an excellent season so far, and they’re surpassing all limits that people have put on them.”
College Prep’s Women’s Tennis team is a unique blend of different playing styles, with each player bringing their own strengths and doing the job of creating a strong team culture. Below is a short rundown of the team:
Mimi Campbell ‘24 - Player comp: Emma Raducanu
Angela Wang ‘24 - Player comp: Caroline Garcia
Natalie Goldberg ‘24 - Player comp: Aryna Sabalenka
Sophia Bitton ‘26 - Player comp: Coco Gauff
Gia Chhabra ‘26 - Player comp: Martina Hingis
Leah Luchansky ‘25 - Player comp: Simona Halep
Adele Beamer ‘24 - Player comp: Roger Federer
Makeda Faxio ‘25 - Player comp: Venus Williams
Daphne Green ‘26- Player comp: Maria Sakkari
Lexi Zhu ‘25 - Player comp: Elena Rybakina
Aanya Shamdasani ‘25 - Player comp: Caroline Wozniacki
Hana Alhamadsheh ‘26 - Player comp: Hana Mandlikova
Irene Moore ‘26 - Player comp: Snoopy (specifically when he plays at Wimbledon)
Lulu Simons ‘27 - Player comp: Ons Jabeur
Surina Pugh ‘27 - Player comp: Adrian Mannarino
Allison Peng ‘27 - Player comp: Iga Swiatek
As the match progressed, they fought for each and every point, both players’ energy on reserve as they played late into the evening. Though the first and second sets were marred by questionable calls from her opponent, Gia squeaked out a 10-5 win in the third and final tiebreak set - sealing the win for your Cougars and increasing their impressive record to 11-2 total, 5-0 in league.
Looking forward, the Cougars will begin their push for the long elusive BCL East title, trying to wrest it from the rival Jayhawks. Now having celebrated their incredibly successful seniors, they have three games upcoming – against Bentley, Redwood Christian, and at Head-Royce. After that, BCL East Playoffs get started– where the battle truly begins. Fans of the team say that the Cougars may have their best chance to win a title this year above all others, with their strong and consistently high-performing starting lineup, along with up and coming young players. Come out to Chabot Racquet Club to support your Cougars through the end of the season and playoffs!