Girls’ tennis team seeks state crown

Seven girls from Laguna Beach, all members of the Emerald Bay

girls’ tennis team, will compete this weekend for the state

14-and-under title in a match against Northern California at the Los

Angeles Tennis Center on the campus of UCLA. The event will get

underway Saturday.

Emerald Bay qualified to play for the state title in the

14-and-under Division by winning the Southern California 14-and-under

tournament held in late June. The Emerald Bay girls’ tennis team is

comprised of Laguna Beach residents Meaghan Flynn, Piper Miller,

Hayley Miller, Katherine McIntyre, Lauren Thigpen, Kimberly Smith and

Natasha Schulman.

The team captain and coach is Gretchen Miller, also of Laguna

Beach. Four team members have played together since the age of 3,

when Miller, along with her husband, Richard, started a tennis

program for “pee-wees,” Richard Miller said.

“We began the program using balloons, sponge balls and plastic

rackets,” he said.

Richard and Gretchen Miller each played Junior Tennis in Southern

California since the age of 9. Gretchen Miller went on to become a

two-time All-American at USC and Richard Miller played on a Top 10

nationally ranked men’s team at Pepperdine University.

The Millers developed the program 10 years ago, Richard Miller

said.