The Lady Lancers are preparing for the season, which begins Sept. 17. Photo by Rick Sloan

RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - After a strong season last fall that saw the Cordova Lady Lancers earn a spot in the CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs under first-year head coach Pete Creasman, the team is looking forward to what’s in store for an encore. 

The Lady Lancers finished with a 6-4 record in Metro League play a year ago, good for third place in the league standings. Cordova did fall in the opening round against league rival and area power West Park, but with the team headed in the right direction under Creasman, there has been a visible carryover of momentum into this summer as the team prepares for their slate of matches. According to Creasman, the team saw a massive influx of players joining the team, combined with a strong group of returning upper classmen, things are looking good entering the season.

Senior Mia Antonio figures to lead the Lady Lancers this fall as the No. 1 singles player. Photo by Rick Sloan

“We’re feeling pretty excited about this year,” Creasman said. “We have a good amount of returning seniors who were with us last year. We have 19 new freshmen, so the program has jumped in numbers significantly. We’re excited about that. A good amount of energy and positivity in the program right now.”

Top returnees include No. 1 singles player Mia Antonio, who is heading into her senior season. Her strong play provides the team an example of what it’s supposed to look like while helping propel the team forward. 

“She’s someone who just has really clean and consistent fundamentals that everyone can build off of,” Creasman said. “She’s not a very vocal player but she goes out on the court and gets things done. I’m excited to see the rest of the team learn from her. I think she can compete at the highest level, and I’m excited to see what she can do this year.”

Cordova Head Coach Pete Creasman giving instruction during a recent practice. Photo by Rick Sloan

Other players who are being relied upon this season include senior team captain Casey Mojares, who was the Lady Lancers’ No. 6 singles player last fall. According to her coach, the moment she stepped onto the court this summer the improvement in her play was visible. Additionally, sophomore Kyla Clifton, who jumped from exhibition to No. 2 doubles for the team last season, is being counted on significantly as she has already ascended to the No. 5 singles player on the roster. 

After marked improvement across the board for the team last year in his first season at the helm, Creasman has his sights set on raising the bar even higher in his second go-round with the club. 

“This year the goal is to improve on last years’ success,” he said. “Last year we ended up third in league and made the playoffs. This year, if we can maybe take second or first in league, that would be great. We’re also prioritizing the mentality where kids can come and learn to play a sport as well as learn life skills that come from coaching. Those would be the priorities.”

The Lady Lancers open their season on Thursday, Sept. 17 at West Park High School, with a start time of 4 p.m.