Girls’ Tennis: Laguna breezes into second round
Having rolled through Orange Coast League play and the league’s postseason tournament, the Laguna Beach girls’ tennis team turned its attention this week to the final leg of its season — the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs.
The Breakers began what they hope is a deep postseason journey on Wednesday and took the first step in extending their season by scoring a 14-4 first-round victory over Vista Murrieta. The win advances the Breakers (17-4) to a second-round home match at 2 p.m. Friday against Carpinteria.
Orange Coast League champion Laguna, the No. 4-seed in the tournament, is moving on thanks to sweeps at two lines in both singles and doubles.
Sweeps in singles came from No. 1 Summer Dvorak who posted wins of 6-1, 6-2, 6-0, and No. 2 Kira Hamilton who won, 6-0, 6-2, 6-3.
In doubles, the Breakers’ No. 1 unit of junior Ashley Shelton and senior Madeline Loomis won by scores of 7-6, 6-0, 6-0. The No. 3 team of juniors Natasha Keces and Malia Helms swept, 6-2, 6-1, 6-1.
Laguna picked up eight of its 14 points in doubles play. The No. 2 team of senior Bailey Jaeger and freshman Kelly Keller dropped their first set, 7-6, but rebounded for wins of 6-0, 6-0.
“We came out ready to play,” Davis said. “The girls knew it was important to be ready for the first round of CIF, and they were focused and everybody played well. I know that Bailey (Jaeger) and Kelly (Keller) were disappointed to lose a game, but everyone played really well.
“This is a strong team. We have two outstanding singles players and are deep at all three doubles. This team has the depth and talent to do things, and we’re excited for the playoffs.”
Vista Murrieta, the third-place team from the Southwestern League, had its season come to an end at 11-6.
“Usually when you are a league champ, you get a No. 3 team in the first-round that generally isn’t very strong,” Davis said. “They (Vista Murrieta) were good, which was good for us because it was more of a test for us right way. They come from a league that is very strong and their champion (Murrieta Valley) is the No. 2-seed in our division.”
Before starting its CIF season, Laguna finished play Oct. 30 at the Orange Coast League tournament. The Breakers dominated the event and took the top two spots in singles, and the top three finishes in doubles.
Two seniors, Dvorak, the tournament’s top-seed in singles, and Hamilton, seeded No. 2, met in the final. Dvorak won the league title by virtue of a 6-0, 6-0 victory.
Shelton and Loomis claimed the doubles crown. The tournament’s second-seeded team, rallied for a 2-6, 6-4, 10-3 (super set tie-breaker) victory over the top-seeded team of Jaeger and Keller.
Keces and Helms, the No. 3-seed, fell in the semifinals to Shelton and Loomis but took third place overall.
“We were the top two seeds in singles and the top three seeds in doubles, and that’s exactly how we finished the tournament,” Davis said. “Summer (Dvorak) didn’t lose a game the entire tournament, and that’s difficult to do.”
Twitter: @MikeSciacca