Courting a winner

fox and doubles La Cañada High Coach Joe Thompson hasn't had to make many lineup changes throughout the past three seasons. Perennial No. 1 singles player Kelley Fox has been a big reason why.

Fox, a junior, continued to flourish atop the singles lineup for a La Cañada squad that won its second consecutive Rio Hondo League championship in 2005. She showcased her talent with a cool demeanor en route to finishing with a stellar 40-9 record against some of the top regional competition.

Though she finished fourth in the league tournament at Live Oak Park in Temple City, Fox proved that she's a valuable commodity for the Spartans (17-4).

Fox won two of her three sets to lead La Cañada to an 11-7 home victory against Sunny Hills in a first-round match of the CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs on Nov. 11.

Earlier in the season, Fox swept her three sets to give La Cañada a nonleague win against intercity rival Crescenta Valley on Sept. 15.

Fox, who plays on the junior circuit, swept aside Arcadia's trio of Caitlyn Ward, Daniela Lee and Anna Higane in a nonleague match on Oct. 3.

Fox's future appears to be bright for a La Cañada squad that's primed to win another league crown.

When Crescenta Valley needed its No. 2 doubles team to come through, Kisa Ito and Luana Choi rarely disappointed.

Ito capped her season with a 52-9 doubles record and Choi went 47-9 in helping the Falcons (15-5) advance to the CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs.

The duo placed fourth in the Pacific League Tournament at Pasadena High in early November, and along with Natalie Abou-Chakra and Ashlee Chan, proved to be key components in keeping the Falcon tradition of having stellar doubles teams alive.

Crescenta Valley Coach Tom Gossard never wavered from splitting up the tandem. Ito and Choi won two of their three sets in Crescenta Valley's 10-8 first-round loss to visiting Huntington Beach.

The duo swept their three sets to spur the Falcons, who finished second in league behind Arcadia, to a 10-5 nonleague home win against La Cañada on Oct. 26.

Choi and Ito finished off the battle with a 6-4 win to clinch the victory.

They also helped the Falcons record two key league victories against Glendale -- a team that split second place in league a season ago with Crescenta Valley -- this year.

Ito will be a senior next season, but Gossard must find a suitable replacement for Choi, who will graduate this spring.

ALL-AREA GIRLS' TENNIS TEAM

SINGLES

Alina Karapetian * Crescenta Valley

Erica Lee * La Cañada

Jennifer Oyang * Flintridge Prep

DOUBLES

Natalie Abou-Chakra, Ashlee Chan * Crescenta Valley

Lindsay Van Amringe, Jade Stenzel * La Cañada

Sarah Aguilar, Nicole Carothers * Burroughs20051231i426jfkf(LA)20051231io5u2tkn(LA)