In a down-to-the-wire championship match, the Menlo girls’ tennis team prevailed Saturday with a 4-3 win over St. Francis for the Knights first section title since 2015.
Both teams are headed to NorCals next week. 
At the Courtside Club in Los Gatos, the match came down to No. 1 singles at center court. Menlo junior Addie Ahlstrom defeated Alisha Chulani in a hard-fought match 6-3, 6-3 against her occasional doubles partner. With all the players, coaches, families, students watching center court, Ahlstrom knew the outcome was coming down to her match.
“I was pretty relaxed surprisingly for most of it.,” Ahlstrom said. “but when the crowd started piling up and I knew it was coming down to my match for the team title, I started looking around and feeling it a little more, but I was able to stay focused.
“Alisha’s a really good friend of mine. I’ve played with her and against her so many times. It’s always a good match when I play with her, and I was just happy to have such great competition.”
The doubles teams swept with junior Lindsey Ball and freshman Natalie Westermann off the courts first, taking a 6-1, 6-0 win at No 1. Sophomore C.C. Golub and freshman Elsie Ragatz won at No. 2 doubles 6-2, 6-0 and the duo of senior Charlotte Lee and junior Penelope Anderson winning 6-2, 6-2.

The Knights rolled past Palo Alto 7-0 in the CCS semifinals at Lynbrook High.

Ahlstrom and the doubles teams of Zhang-Brady and Ragatz-Westermann will be playing in the CCS Individual Championships this week.

CCS Championships
at Bay Club-Courtside

Menlo 4, St, Francis 3

Addie Ahlstrom (M) d. Chulani  6-3, 6-3; Simone (SF) d. Tricia Zhang 6-3, 6-4; Pabari (SF) d.Brynn Brady 6-2, 6-2; Kawamura (SF) d. Charlotte Yao 6-2, 6-3. Doubles – Lindsey Ball-Natalie Westermann (M) d. Kha-Phelps 6-1, 6-0; C.C.Golub-Elsie Ragatz (M) d. Yang-Williams 6-2, 6-2; Charlotte Lee-Penelope Anderson (M) d. Balath-Gao 6-2, 6-2.