Girls tennis: Newport outlasts Monarchs

Tony Altobelli

NEWPORT BEACH - Fortunately for the Newport Harbor High girls

tennis team, early sets count just as much as late sets.

The Sailors jumped out to a 7-1 lead in sets and held on for dear life

in Thursday’s 10-8 win over visiting Mater Dei in the CIF Southern

Section Division III semifinals.

“Even at 7-1, I wasn’t too confident,” a relieved Sailors Coach

Fletcher Olson said. “I definitely wasn’t taking a nap at that point,

that’s for sure.”

After winning five of the first six sets in the first round and the

first two sets of the second round, the Sailors watched the Monarchs rip

off five matches in a row to climb back into the contest.

“When we were playing, we didn’t know the scores, but when we got off

the court after the second round, we were nervous,” junior Megan Hawkins

said. “But to be so young and to reach the finals, it’s pretty

surprising. But, as the year went on, we played a lot better as a team.”

Newport (18-6) was dominant in doubles, winning seven of nine sets.

At No. 1 doubles, Hawkins, along with sophomore Krista McIntosh,

teamed up to sweep all three sets, winning 18 out of the 21 games they

played.

“We moved Megan from our singles into doubles in the St. Lucy’s match

in the quarterfinals and I think that helped her a lot today,” Olson

said.

Hawkins agreed. “Krista and I play real well together,” she said.

“We’ve played before and she’s an awesome doubles partner to have.”

The Sailors, seeded No. 3 in Division III, pulled out two close

doubles’ sets that could have gone Mater Dei’s way.

Freshmen Bonnie Adams and A.J. Olson, after losing their serve at 5-5,

broke back for a 6-5 advantage and held serve for a 7-5 win.

Juniors Erika Buder and Carmen Khoury also pulled out a close win in

the first round, 6-4.

In singles, junior Kelly Nelson and freshman Vanessa Dunlap each won

their first sets to help give Newport a “comfortable” 5-1 advantage.

But nothing is comfortable against the defending Division II champions

as the second-seeded Monarchs clawed their way back, winning four of the

next six sets and trailed only 7-5.

But Newport held on. Buder and Khoury pulled out a 10-8 tiebreaker to

win, 7-6, and gave the Sailors that magical 10th point.

“This year, we came in with the notion that this was going to be a

building year,” Olson said. “But the younger kids have listened and

they’ve done an outstanding job. Any time you beat a team as good as

Mater Dei in the semifinals of CIF, it’s always a wonderful

accomplishment.”

Buder and Khoury, along as well as Adams and Olson each won two of

three sets for the Sailors, as did Nelson in singles competition.

Newport will play in the Division III finals on Monday at the

Claremont Club against the winner of Palm Desert and Santa Barbara.