Piedmont High School’s badminton team is coming off of a very successful season where the Highlanders took fifth place at the North Coast Section championships. This season, Piedmont is looking to duplicate that success. Several key players return, including senior Maddie Xiong, who finished second in girls singles at NCS. Xiong is 4-0 at No. 1 girls singles so far this season.
“She really didn’t know what badminton was,” Highlanders coach Fiona Lai said. “I would say she’s just committed. When she wants to do something, she does it right away.”
Junior Athena Li at No. 2 and junior Evolette Mak at No. 3 have also been perfect as the Highlanders are 14-1 as a whole in girls singles on the year.
The mixed doubles group is the other strength of the team, also going 14-1 through the first five matches. Sophomore Johnny Phmah and junior Mandy Tang are a perfect 4-0 as the No. 1 team. Phmah teamed with his brother Justin to finish fourth in boys doubles a year ago at NCS. Tang was part of the second place girls doubles team at last year’s West Alameda County Conference championship.
“They are the top mixed pair at the moment,” Lai said “They play really well together.”
Lai added that Johnny Phmah may reunite with his senior brother for the playoffs. Senior Aman Jajodia and junior Naomi Treichler are a perfect 5-0 on the season, most as the No. 2 mixed doubles team. They also won matches at No. 1 and No. 3.
The boys doubles have an interesting pair of freshman Chase Hench and sophomore Mikey Swei that has played mostly at No. 2.
“Watching (Hench) play and be able to keep up with all of the upper classmen is really good,” Lai said. “Mikey is a brand new player and he has improved a lot, super-fast.”
Mostly, the No. 1 spot has been held down by Justin Phmah and Junior Edison Zhu. “Our boys doubles can be good but most of them are new,” Lai said. “Our 2s and 3s are new. They’re playing good. The doubles need to rotate. I think they just lack the confidence.”
Junior Walden Pan has been at the top of boys singles. Senior Joseph Blumberg has also been a consistent presence there.
Seniors Delia Wu and Juliette Cabirol have been the No. 1 girls doubles team. Senior Fiona Chen had been teaming with sophomore Sophia Clark at No. 2 but in the team’s last match against San Lorenzo, Chen paired with freshman Nicole Li at No. 2 and Clark was matched with freshman Chloe Hong at No. 3.
Piedmont opened with an 8-7 loss to Encinal, then defeated Berkeley by the same score. A 12-3 win over Tennyson and a 15-0 skunking of Hayward followed. The Highlanders lost to San Lorenzo, 8-7 in their latest match.
Lai is optimistic her squad can match its recent success. “I think our team this year can go far,” Lai said. “We just have to train them a littler harder.”