Vikings release 2023 schedule amid high expectations

Vikings release 2023 schedule amid high expectations
Posted: Jan 17, 2023

After posting a 10-6 overall mark in 2022, 8-4 in a competitive Coast Conference that featured the 2022 state team runnerup and the state singles and doubles champion, the 2023 West Valley Vikings hit the courts with justifiably high goals. WVC's 2023 schedule, just released by coach Lauren Hickey, features 17 matches against Coast competitiion, making the docket one of the toughest in the CCCAA.

The Vikings host the 2023 WVC Doubles Day Tournament to open the season on Jan. 27. The tourney features many of the state's top pairs and has gained the reputation as one of the premier tournaments in the CCCAA. After a 1/31 home match against NAIA opponent William Jessup, the Vikings leap into Coast action at WVC/Mission Community College District rival Mission Feb. 3.

While the Vikings spend most of February on the road, with only a Valentine's Day match against City College of San Francisco at the West Valley Tennis Complex, the March schedule has WVC playing eight of nine matches in Saratoga.

Despite losing All-Coast #1 singles and doubles standout Seraphina Vossen, who's now playing on scholarship at Lewis & Clark College, and Zeynep Aynaci, who qualified for both the CCCAA NorCal and state championship tourneys, the 2023 Vikings are as deep and talented as any squad Hickey has had.

Leading the way is All-Coast 1st teamer Abigail Prokter. Proker is a two-time ITA NorCal champion - singles in 2022 and doubles with Vossen in 2021 - and the ITA Region One Rookie of the Year in 2022. She went 13-0 in Coast singles play in 2022 and was 14-4 overall in doubles.

Returners Sonya Hu, Brynn McKenzie and Tal Volinsky provide the aforementioned line depth. Hu also qualified for both the NorCal and state championship tourneys in 2022. McKenzie saw action in every match in 2022 and is one of the most improved players in the north. Volinsky joined the team late in the season last year and was a solid addition. 

The Vikings take care of business in the classroom as well. Hu, Prokter and Volinksy were 2022 ITA Scholar-Athletes, while all three, along with McKenzie, were on the 2022 ITA All-Academic Viking squad.

Hickey's best recruiting class will be in uniform in 2023. Highly regarded newcomers include Angelica Aparicio (Valley Christian High School), Lindsay Lee (Westmont), Lavanika Sharma (Westmont) and Faith Son (Santa Clara).