9.9.2023 – The Menlo School girls’ tennis team hosted its first 32-team field in the seventh year of the Golden State Invitational on Friday and Saturday.
Gunn, Los Altos, Menlo-Atherton and Sacred Heart Prep also hosted play in the unofficial state tournament.
The Knights (4-4) finished fourth overall with a 3-2 mark after facing a pair of Southern Section Open Division semifinalists in Palos Verdes and Peninsula.
Menlo, despite missing its top two singles seeds on Day 2, nearly took the match from Palos Verdes for third place.
“This year’s tournament definitely had a different feel,” Menlo junior co-captain Kate Hsia said. “The SoCal teams are very competitive and really elevated the level of play. And, all teams had five matches instead of (the usual) four.”
At No. 2 singles Izzy Klugman, a junior co-captain, defeated Caroline Chu 8-7 (5) and Hsia defeated Audrey Kim 8-1 at No. 3. Menlo sophomore Sulia Gayle went 2-0 at No. 4 singles and 3-0 in doubles - paired with Hsia and Klugman, for the tournament
Menlo sailed through the first three rounds of play, defeating Leigh 6-1, Homestead 7-0 and Burlingame 7-0.
“We played pretty well even without our top two players Saturday against the best teams in the state, “Menlo Coach Bill Shine said. “We are growing with this young team daily.”
The Golden State Classic was borne out of an idea of Shine and Monta Vista coach Gene Fortino and started in 2015 at Menlo School and Stanford University. Shine and Fortino worked
with Dick Gould, longtime former Stanford coach and John L. Hinds Director of Tennis, to schedule the courts through the years save for the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, has been going strong at area courts.
“I’m extremely proud of the team,” Hsia said. “The team was very spirited and had high levels of effort. I feel that Friday’s and yesterday’s matches were some of our best tennis of the season, and I know we’ll just keep improving from here on out.”

Westlake of Thousand Oaks won the tournament with a 5-2 win over Peninsula of Rolling Hills Estates. Menlo was the only Northern California team in the Final Four.

1. Westlake-Thousand Oaks
2. Peninsula - Palos Verdes Estates
3. Palos Verdes
4. Menlo School