The junior and sophomore, respectively, are the Spartans’ (14-3) two top singles players, and, on Oct. 19, they helped inch the team a step closer to a Los Padres League championship, edging out second place Cabrillo High School, 71-65.
While Orcutt head coach Art Lopez called Vise, “pretty much the best player in the league,” and Pablo, “not far behind her,” the two humble stars said they’ve actually surprised themselves with their success this season.
“We didn’t think we’d do as well as we did last year because we lost a lot of starters,” Pablo said. “But as we kept going, a lot of people improved and we got really, really good.”
For Pablo, being “really, really good” means being like Vise. Pablo said she’s looked up to Vise and her tennis ability since middle school.
“I so wanted to be like her,” Pablo said. “Everyone was talking about how good she was. I was like, ‘I’m gonna be just like her.’”
Vise isn’t necessarily a huge fan of all the affection and attention.
“It’s kind of a lot of pressure,” she laughed. “It makes me nervous.”
While the two share admiration for one another, they play very different games. Vise plays with extreme confidence and has a unique ability to “read the court and the opponent,” Lopez said, “with the weapons to back it up.” Pablo on the other hand is the ultimate defensive player—a “backboard,” according to Lopez.
“She gets everything and wears down her opponent,” he said.
Lopez added that Pablo is “still growing into her talent.”
“She doesn’t realize how good she is,” he said.
Vise gets her vision and confidence from many years of experience playing competitive tennis since fourth grade. She’s even been through some emotional ups and downs with the sport. In middle school, Vise quit tennis after too many tournaments burned her out.
“Every weekend was booked,” Vise said. “I got really burned out really quick, so I quit.”
But come high school, the Orcutt Academy tennis team convinced her to pick up the racket again, and she never looked back. This season, Vise broke the school record for the most 6-0 game victories in a row.
“With a team, it’s a lot easier on you,” she said.
This article appears in Oct 26 – Nov 2, 2017.