Golden Valley girls’ tennis won the program’s first-ever playoff match in a battle full of firsts.  The Grizzlies program had never been to the playoffs and the players were excited for the opportunity to play a random CIF Southern Section opponent, but fate would draw league rivals in the Hart Hawks in the opening round on Wednesday.  Golden Valley was dropped by Hart twice in Foothill League play this year and despite the anticipation, the two meeting a third time was a bit anticlimactic for Grizzlies coach Josh Stimac.  “It’s a little bit of a drag, because you get to the playoffs and you want to be able to go somewhere and play a team that you’ve never played,” Stimac said. “Then all of a sudden, it comes down to it and we’re playing Hart for a third time this season. It’s kind of a bummer, because I want Hart, Valencia and West Ranch to do well in the playoffs. I want the Foothill league to do well.”  The Grizzlies won the Division 5 home playoff match 10-8, thanks to some smart play, windy weather and risky lineup changes working in their favor.  Hart doubles player Janice Jin serves against Hart. Photo by Trisha Anas / The Signal. Golden Valley senior Janice Jin was one of the main lineup changes as Stimac elected to move his longtime No. 2 singles player to doubles. Jin had never played doubles in a Grizzlies uniform but immediately made an impact alongside partner Pavithra Premadasan.   “Janice was very excited about it,” Stimac said. “She thought it was a great idea, and was excited to play with her partner today, Pavi. They had a good time out there.”  The two won their first match together after defeating Hart No. 1 Emma Barker and Jamie Nguyen, 6-3. Jin and Predmadasan also added a 6-1 win while only dropping their battle with Hart No. 3 Claire Richaldi and Maeva 6-3.  Hart doubles player Jamie Nguyen plays against Golden Valley. Photo by Trisha Anas / The Signal The Hawks duo was the only doubles team to sweep the day, adding wins of 6-2, 6-3 and 7-5.  “Claire and Maeva have had great chemistry all year,” said Hart coach Allan Hardbarger. “They communicate well and Claire’s groundstrokes complement Maeva’s strong net play.”  Golden Valley High School’s Kaelyn Azarraga hits a ball back to her opponent Sofia Ganshirt of Hart High School during a tennis match on Wednesday afternoon at the Golden Valley High School tennis courts on November 6, 2024. Trisha Anas/ The Signal. In singles, only Grizzlies No. 1 Kaeyln Azarraga escaped the day unscathed. The freshman won all three of her matches 6-1, 6-0 and 6-0, after playing more clean, consistent Azarraga tennis that Stimac has seen over the years from Kaelyn and her older sisters.  Moving Jin to doubles opened up a singles spot. Stimac elected to promote his top junior varsity player, sophomore Jaachi Agoh, with little to no varsity experience, in hopes she could find a way to score.  “(Agoh) was excited about it,” Stimac said. “The thing about her is she’s just super calm. She seems to not get nervous, and that’s important for a player making a step from JV up to varsity.”  Agoh answered the call and brought in crucial 6-4 and 6-2 wins.  Golden Valley High School tennis player Jaachi Agoh prepares to hit the ball back to her opponent Catherine Holley of Hart High School during a match on Wednesday afternoon at the Golden Valley tennis courts on November 6, 2024. Trisha Anas/ The Signal. “Everybody contributed today, it was a real team effort,” Stimac said, “But I really do think that Jaachi was the girl. At the end, everybody was excited because she was the wild card for me. I didn’t know how she was going to do. She came in and performed wonderfully.”  The playoff match came down to the wire. Golden Valley took an early 5-1 lead after the first round of play before Hart stormed back.  With nearly every other match done, Golden Valley No. 2 singles Aubrey Luna battled with Hart No. 3 Catherine Holley.   (L to R) Golden Valley tennis player Aubrey Luna hands the ball back to her opponent Eva Blakely of Hart High School on Wednesday afternoon during a tennis match on November 6, 2024. Trisha Anas/ The Signal. A Holley win would’ve forced a tiebreaker count but Luna held strong and delivered her second win of the day. Luna, a sophomore, moved her opponents well and ended the historic match with 7-5 and 6-2 wins.  Hart No. 1 singles Sofia Ganshirt bounced back from her 6-1 loss to Azarraga with a pair of 6-0 wins. Barker and Nguyen also brought in a pair of points with 6-3 and 6-1 wins in the last two rounds.  Hart High School tennis player Sofia Ganshirt plays a match against Golden Valley High School’s Kaelyn Azarraga at the Golden Valley tennis courts on November 6, 2024. Trisha Anas/ The Signal. Both teams had to acclimate to windy conditions on Wednesday. Stimac felt the less than ideal weather ended up becoming an advantage for the Grizzlies, who typically deal with wind on their courts.  “I think that the wind did play a factor today,” Stimac said. “I felt as though my girls may be a little bit more used to the wind because of where our school’s located.   Hart has come a long way this season after a huge turnover in 2023. The Hawks still finished with a solid league record and reached the playoffs yet again. Despite a majority of the team returning in 2025, the season will still feel different for Hardbarger and the team.  Hart High School tennis player Eva Blakely readies her tennis racket during a match against Golden Valley High School’s Aubrey Luna during a match on Wednesday afternoon on the Golden Valley tennis courts on November 6, 2024. Trisha Anas/ The Signal. “We had a successful season, and finished 8-4 in a competitive league despite only returning 3 varsity players from last year,” Hardbarger said. “Our seniors really brought the team together and the players have developed lifelong friendships.  Next year will be very different, as my longtime assistant coach Eric Olsson will step down this year.  I would like to thank Eric for being an excellent coach and a great friend.  We will miss you here at Hart.”  The Grizzlies are now onto the second round of playoffs after the program’s first ever postseason win was earned in front of dozens of spectators, something the coaches don’t get to see much of.  “We’ve had more parental support the last two or three years than I’ve ever experienced at Golden Valley,” Stimac said. “It’s refreshing. A lot of students from Golden Valley showed up. A lot of the players’ friends showed up and cheered for them. Administration was out there. We don’t have a lot of teams that make the playoffs at Golden Valley. This season, we have football and tennis, and it’s good to see the community there at the school and rally around them.”  Golden Valley will hit the road for round two and face the top-seeded Ontario Christian Knights.  “We’re absolutely overjoyed with the result today,” Stimac said. “We’re looking forward to going down to Ontario Christian and hopefully having another good match. Now, they’re the number one seed in Division 5, so I’m hoping that we can pull that one out too.”  Grizzlies and Knights take the courts on Friday at 2 p.m.  Golden Valley doubles player Janice Jin serves to Hart. Photo by Trisha Anas / The Signal. Golden Valley High School’s Kaelyn Azarraga hits a ball back to her opponent Sofia Ganshirt of Hart High School during a tennis match on Wednesday afternoon at the Golden Valley High School tennis courts on November 6, 2024. Trisha Anas/ The Signal. Hart doubles players Emma Barker (back) and Jamie Nguyen (front) play against Golden Valley. Photo by Trisha Anas / The Signal The post Golden Valley wins historic first playoff match  appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.