University goes back-to-back: Trojans top Menlo to claim second straight CIF state title

University’s boys tennis players and coaches after winning state title. (Photo courtesy University tennis).

After rolling through the regular season and claiming a fourth-straight CIF Open Division Championship, the University High School boys tennis team left no doubt in declaring itself as California’s best on Saturday.

The Trojans took down Menlo 4-3 at the Sierra Sport and Racquet Club in Fresno to win their second-straight CIF State Championship.

Their victory comes just over two weeks after Uni defeated Harvard-Westlake 10-8 in the CIF Open Division Southern Section title match.

For long-time Uni coach John Kessler, the transition from the open division tournament to regional play has never been an easy one. 

“For us, the main goal is CIF,” coach John Kessler told OC Sports Zone before the CIF Regional playoffs. “Every year we have to battle this anticlimactic feeling … It’s always hard to mentally get the players back up after the apex of CIF.”

The Trojans didn’t run into much trouble in the Southern Regional bracket, winning all of their matches by at least three points through the regional final, where they defeated Harvard-Westlake again, 5-2.

However, in the state championship match, Kessler’s squad faced some adversity, as Menlo held serve and scored a few points to stay in the match. 

University singles players Arystarkh Len and Daniel Zhu pulled out convincing wins to put the Trojans up 2-0. But the Knights responded, rallying off a singles and doubles win to even the match at two apiece.

Yet, following its first, and only, doubles win of the day – secured by Tyler Chandler and Reid Hashimoto – Uni jumped ahead 3-2 with all eyes turning to the game between the top singles players of both squads.

And, with a state championship within reach, University’s star player, Rishvanth Krishna, came through with a two-set victory to give Uni its fourth point, locking up another state title for the Trojans. 

The mark of back-to-back state championships adds to the list of remarkable achievements the program has accomplished under Kessler.

After another dominant season, University now boasts 19-straight league titles, 16 CIF Southern Section Championships, three-straight Southern California championships and has the only two state titles in CIF history. 

With young talent such as Krishna set to return next year, University is poised to continue its success and remain one of the premier high school boys tennis programs in the nation.