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Bulldog tennis back and hungry for more
Turlock tennis pic1
Returning Turlock standout Natalia Lima works on her backhand stroke during a Tuesday afternoon practice at Pitman High. - photo by FRANKIE TOVAR / The Journal

With five consecutive undefeated seasons and five consecutive Central California Conference Championships on display there’s no questioning the success and ability of Turlock High’s girls tennis program. As the 2012 season begins to heat up the only real question to ask is, “can they do it again?”

“We have a lot of depth and they’re working really hard,” Turlock’s head coach Linda Bejaran said.

Coach Bejaran’s to-the-point attitude is a reflection of her confidence in her team and its quest for a sixth CCC title in as many years. Returners Natalia Lima, Jillian Temple, and Jenna Anderson are Turlock’s top three singles player this year, an area the Bulldogs are expected to dominate this season.

Although Turlock has more than a few seasoned singles players this year its doubles teams are mostly made up of freshman and sophomores, providing a dash of youth to the Bulldogs’ talent pool. This blend of experience and youthful enthusiasm has already proven effective for the Bulldogs who easily defeated defending MMC Champs Enochs High as well as Modesto High during pre-season play. The early performances have Bejaran and her girls anxiously looking forward to CCC competition.

“I’m looking forward to being number one again,” Bejaran said.

Turlock looks to continue its dominance against Modesto area schools today with a pre-season match against Downey High before the always tough Clovis Tournament this weekend in Fresno. The Bulldogs battle Buhach Colony High at home on Sept. 11 for the first CCC match of the year.

All Turlock home games will be played at Pitman High this season due to construction on the THS campus.