As the DEL champion for singles tennis, senior Isabella Pimentel faced CIF finals on Nov. 21 for the second consecutive year. 

Pimentel has been preparing for CIF all season by “[making] sure to practice consistently in and outside of school, and [also] keeping a positive mindset,” she explained. The athlete’s competitive nature was evident throughout her championship matches. She won her first match 6-0, 6-0 against Vanessa Quintana from Sierra Vista High School. She followed with a 6-1, 6-2 win in her second match against formidable opponent, Grace Poulava from Ontario High School. Pimentel played hard all day, but ultimately fell to Emily Ing from Hacienda Heights High School with a 0-6, 0-6 loss. 

Despite the end of her season, Pimentel holds on to the fact that she won all of her league matches, became district league champion, and repped Shadow Hills at the same time. Her motivation to play tennis throughout high school has been, in part, because she was able to compete as a Knight, explaining, “I think being able to represent my school while playing a sport I enjoy motivates me to do tennis.”