The Taft High varsity girls tennis team has moved on to the Valley semifinals after an 8-1 victory over the Highland Scots at home on Thursday.

Taft, the No. 3 seed in Division IV, will play No. 2 seed Kerman there at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

“Highland’s top three players were competitive, but after that our depth was too much,” coach Jim Carnal said of the No. 6 seed.

Taft’s No. 1 player, Leighton May, who became the first Taft girl in 53 years to win the league singles title a week earlier, was in top form against the overmatched Anika Gonzalez. May won the No. 1 singles match over a fellow senior, 6-0, 6-2.

The Nos. 2 and 3 singles matches were extremely competitive. Dariana Calderon fought off Yuni Alcanter, 6-4, 2-6, 10-5, to give Taft the win at No. 2. Likewise, Brisa Guizar beat Katelyn Wernhart in double overtime, 6-4, 3-6, 12-10.

It was all Taft in singles after that. Diana Huizar sliced past Zoe Butter, 6-2, 6-0. Her older sister, Elizabeth Huizar, was the first one off the court with a shellacking of Alexis Alejo, 6-0, 6-1. Likewise, Cielo Woggn drubbed Melissa Meyer, 6-0, 6-1.

With the match won, Carnal sat May in doubles. At No. 1 doubles, Highland’s 1 and 2, Gonzalez and Alcanter, came from behind to beat Taft’s 2 and 3, Calderon and Guizar, 3-6, 6-3, 10-3. “Both doubles teams are playing in the area (Kern County) tournament Friday at Garces so I wanted to give Dariana and Brisa some good practice. Highland’s duo finished second in the Southeast  Yosemite League tournament. Dariana and Brisa were fourth in the South Sequoia League.”

At No. 2 doubles, Taft’s Nos. 4 and 8 players, Diana Huizar and Yuvia Woggn handled Highland’s Nos. 3 and 5 players, Wernhart and Alejo, 6-3, 6-3.

At 3 doubles, Taft’s Nos. 7 and 9 players, Rosa Silva and Alondra Cisneros, dispatched Highland’s Nos. 6 and 7 players, Anjali Mulji and Tyler Johnson, 6-2, 6-0.

Taft improved to 22-5 overall. Highland finished its season 14-9.

Kerman beat No. 7 seed Strathmore, 8-1. Number 4 Woodlake shut out No. 5 Coalinga, 9-0, and travels to No. 1 Central Valley Christian of Visalia, which had a bye.