Reaching the state finals tournament at the collegiate level is an amazing accomplishment in any sport, especially for a pair of women in their mid-30’s who have played tennis for only a couple of years.

Michelle Morse and Michele McGarry, the Warriors’ No. 1 doubles tennis team, did just that when they advanced to the state quarterfinals last week in the 16-team bracket composed of the top eight Northern and Southern California doubles teams.

In the round of eight quarterfinals match, Morse and McGarry fell, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-3 to the experienced No. 1 Saddleback Gauchos’ doubles team.

“They have been playing for fifteen years versus three for us,” McGarry said.

“We needed about ten more years of experience,” Morse said.

Despite going against a more seasoned and experienced team, Morse and McGarry jumped out to an early lead in the first two sets.

“I think we startled them,” McGarry said in reference to the match against the Gauchos. “I do not think they were expecting a match from us.”

Even though the match resulted in a loss, the women will not hang their heads in disappointment over what they could have done different or the thought of what if.

“It was a really fun match and we had a blast,” McGarry said.

To advance to the quarterfinals, Morse and McGarry beat the No. 1 Fresno City College Rams doubles team in the round of 16, 2-6, 6-1, 6-1.

In this first match, the Warriors dropped the first set, but quickly recovered to capture the final two sets and the win.

“They had an unconventional game because we had not seen players like them all year,” Morse said. “We beat them.”

Despite finishing the 2005 campaign with a loss in the quarterfinals of the state finals, Morse and McGarry learned and progressed throughout the year

“Personally, I worked the most on my service return and that was my biggest improvement,” Morse said.

“They were able to communicate with each other and their aggressiveness,” Steve Van Kanegan, coach, said in reference to Morse and McGarry’s strengths as a doubles team.