The end of October marks the close of another successful Lick athletics season. Whether at a cross-country meet, tennis match, or water polo tournament, each team competed with integrity, sportsmanship, and unmistakeable athletic excellence.
Volleyball
The power-packed women’s volleyball team had a very impressive season this fall. In an interview with The Paper Tiger, Gigi Buckner ’19 credited the team’s success to the squad’s resilient attitude. Players embraced a challenging early season schedule as a “growing opportunity to come together and understand each other better as teammates.”
photo by Tri Nguyen
Their work has certainly paid off; women’s volleyball has been dominant with a 9-3 record against league opponents. Caitlin Cummings ’20 and Hannah Renert ’19 consistenly led a formidable front line, backed by playmakers Buckner, Emma Warden ’21, Maggie O’Connell ’20 and outstanding rookie Sonia Chun ’22. The team pulled off an incredible 3-2 comeback win against rival University High School to win the BCL championships on October 19, 2018. Unfortunately, at their first-round NCS match against Analy High School on October 23, the team lost 3-2 after Cummings was benched after sustaining a knee injury at the end of the first set. y to”represent LWHS and the sport with dignity and care.”
Women’s Tennis
The women’s tennis team, currently 7-0 in league play and 14-1 overall, has had a remarkable season so far. Although the team’s record has once again been spearheaded by singles ace Olive Maunupau ’20, the season has been made unique in the depth of contributing players. Alongside talented underclassmen Daisy Maunupau ’21 and Callie Tzab ’22, seniors Kailee Shlipak ‘19, Saskia Fisher ’19, Sophia DiSabato ’19, and Sumitra Ananth ’19 will look to their versatility as means to propel the team far into the postseason. The team’s most recent matchup against perennial league rival University High School resulted in a close 3-2 victory for Lick. As they move into NCS, the women will look to leverage their strong team chemistry as they gear up for exciting postseason matches.
photo courtesy of Tri Nguyen
Men’s & Women’s Cross-Country
Talented veterans Eddie Dilworth ‘19, Nick Harris ‘19, flanked by newcomer Alex Mader ‘22 and rookie transfer Adam Spitzler ‘21, are looking to replicate and surpass last year’s historic 3rd place finish for the Men’s Cross-Country team at the State Championships. The final varsity squad that will represent Lick in the postseason has yet to be determined.
The men came into the season ranked fourth in Cross-Country Express’ Pre-Season D5 NCS rankings. After an upset win at the Stanford Invitational on September 29 amongst a very strong field of NCS teams, they seem to have surpassed those expectations. However, with tough competition from San Francisco rival University High School, who returned 6 of their 7 runners from last year’s State Champion team, the road ahead remains a challenge for the men of Lick Cross-Country.
The women’s team, widely regarded as one of the best D5 teams in the state, is an incredibly strong and talented group of runners. Led by powerhouse duo Mira Terdiman ’20 and Maya Lacamp ’21, the team is incredibly deep with a follow pack of veteran runners Alison Savage Brooks ’19, and Elliot Singer ’20, alongside underclassmen Cate Kreutzen ’22 and Sydney Roberts ’21. They will also face competition in University High School’s formidable women’s team, who finished ahead of Lick to take second at States in 2017. As their stellar season progresses, they are determined to add to their current 9-0 winning record
As both teams move closer to the postseason, the two biggest races — NCS and the State Championships — are set to be a showdown between UHS and Lick. Both have been running well recently: the coming meets are sure to be exciting for athletes and spectators alike.
Cowritten by Joe Woldemichael ’19 and Nick Harris ’19
