Ceres High’s varsity girls tennis team traveled to Merced on Nov. 4 to face Golden Valley in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-II playoffs.

The fourth-seeded Cougars ended the fifth-seeded Bulldogs’ season with an 8-1 victory.

Golden Valley won two of three doubles and all six singles matches versus Ceres High.

Leisha Jimenez and Roxanna Bonilla prevented the shut out by edging Angeles Cruz and Cassandra De la Pena 3-6, 6-3, 10-7 in No. 3 doubles play. 

Monica Esparza and Mercedez Wood lost 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 to Susanna Schmidt and Kathlean Rey in No. 1 doubles play.

Evelin Guardado and Mahnoor Kahloon lost 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 to Melania Rivera and Camila Orozco in No. 2 doubles play.

Tania Garfias lost by injury default to Micaela Garcia in No. 1 singles play. 

Garfias retired after losing the first set, 6-3.

Jillian Jimenez lost 6-3, 6-0 to Karina Figueroa in No. 2 singles play.

Gurmannet Bahia lost 6-1, 6-3 to Olivia Hurtron in No. 3 singles play.

Jasmine Bahia lost 6-1, 6-0 to Emily Rowan in No. 4 singles play.

Gurmenjit Bahia lost 6-1, 6-1 to Mary Faye De los Reyes in No. 5 singles play.

Christel Ontiveros lost 6-3, 6-4 to Maddison Kroker in No. 6 singles play.

The Bulldogs secured their second straight playoff berth this fall under new head coach Michelle Casey’s guidance. 

Third-place Ceres High (9-5) finished ahead of Beyer, Johansen, Lathrop, Pacheco and Grace Davis in the Western Athletic Conference standings.