Sea Kings taking it upon themselves

Bryce Alderton

Brian Ricker hasn’t sought motivational sources as he prepares to

lead the Corona del Mar High girls tennis team for the first time

this fall.

He hasn’t needed to. The players, thus far, have provided the

intensity and desire, giving Ricker a pleasant first impression of a

program he expects to again be one of the top contenders for a CIF

Southern Section Division I title.

“I’m impressed with how hard the girls work, all the way from one

through 40,” said Ricker of the varsity and lower-level players. He

inherits a squad that returns six starters from a team that advanced

to the CIF Division I semifinals last year along with a crop of

newcomers who have played several junior tournaments and worked on

their games this summer.

“We have a lot of depth, more than I’ve seen of any team in the

last five years,” said Ricker, who spent the last six seasons

coaching boys and girls teams at Pacific Coast League rival Laguna

Beach.

Ricker said players showed up ready to learn during summer camps.

“Sometimes, when it’s hot out girls can complain that they have to

run or work out, but these girls come out ready to play,” Ricker

said. “I didn’t have to badger anyone. Everyone is self-motivated.

And they get along with each other.”

The returning nucleus includes sophomores Jillian Braverman, Jill

Damion, sisters Hayley and Miranda Young, along with senior Jamison

Steele and junior Rachael Miller. All saw action in both singles and

doubles last year. Braverman and Juliette Mutzke, one of four seniors

to graduate from last year’s team, lost just one doubles set during

the second half of last season.

Braverman won the girls 18s singles title in July’s War by the

Shore junior tennis tournament and was ranked 39th in Southern

California Tennis Association girls 16s singles as of Aug. 21. Damion

is ranked 28th in that division and is 57th in girls 18s singles.

Freshman Allie Walters, ranked 31st in the SCTA girls 14s singles

division, is one of the top newcomers, Ricker said. Sophomores

Michelle Atkins and Kelly McKitterick, juniors Lindsay Norman and

Rachel Bryan, along with seniors Roxanne Kaiden and Leigh Fransen,

give CdM, which won 12 straight matches up to the CIF semifinals last

season, additional firepower.

“Atkins, Kaiden and Norman have improved so much from last year

and that is contagious,” Ricker said. “It creates a little

excitement.”

Ricker said he will use the preseason to evaluate players’

strengths and begin to form doubles teams, which he expects to be one

of the team’s strengths.

Braverman and Mutzke, along with the Young sisters, reached the

league doubles semifinals last fall.

“They are fabulous players and they are better players than last

year,” Ricker said. “They are very aggressive, ready to go at

people.”

The Sea Kings, winners of eight CIF titles, including two straight

Division IV crowns in 2000 and 2001 before moving to Division I in

2002, face a loaded nonleague schedule that includes matches against

Santa Barbara, reigning Division I champion Peninsula, Beverly Hills,

Brentwood, Troy and Mater Dei in addition to a PCL slate that

features two meetings with Laguna Beach. Junior Claire Rietsch,

ranked 72nd in the United States Tennis Association girls 18s singles

rankings, returns to lead Laguna Beach.

“This is an unbelievably difficult schedule, but it should prepare

us well for the playoffs,” Ricker said.

CdM opens at home against Mater Dei Sept. 9.

Ricker knew of CdM’s propensity to produce polished tennis

players, but has gained an entirely new perspective as a coach in one

of the nation’s tennis hotbeds.

“This is one of the top programs in the nation and certainly one

of the top two in the state,” he said. “There are so many good tennis

players on this team, it is amazing. There are good tennis players

struggling to make JV that would make most varsity teams. From No. 8

to 40, there are no comparisons. It’s like the minor leagues versus

the major leagues.”