Sea Kings maintain their momentum

Bryce Alderton

Corona del Mar High sophomore Jill Damion’s come-from-behind victory

over Northwood’s top singles player, Catherine Yoo, typified the

route the Sea Kings took to victory Thursday.

Damion and her teammates got better as the Pacific Coast League

match wore on.

CdM, the league champion, claimed five of six sets in the middle

round, including all three in doubles, and soundly defeated host

Northwood, 13-5, for its ninth straight league victory and ninth in a

row, overall. It was also CdM’s 18th straight league win.

The Sea Kings (15-2, 9-0 in league) haven’t lost since a 10-8

nonleague setback to Santa Barbara Oct. 1.

Damion’s 7-5 victory over Yoo, a first-team all-league honoree a

year ago, gave the Sea Kings a 4-2 lead, which soon swelled.

Damion, who swept all three sets, trailed, 4-1, before CdM Coach

Brian Ricker provided some advice.

“He told me to be more aggressive,” said Damion, who is 31-6 in

singles this season. “I started slicing more shots. As the match wore

on, I played better. At the beginning I was slow.”

Damion broke Yoo’s serve to go up, 6-5, and led, 40-15, before

committing two unforced errors to force one of three deuces in the

final game. On the third deuce, Damion blasted a cross-court forehand

to set up match point. She won when Yoo hit her return long, which

ended the first round.

The Sea Kings, ranked No. 3 in CIF Southern Section Division I,

distanced themselves from any further drama by winning nine of the

final 12 sets against the Timberwolves (9-8, 4-5).

Freshman Allie Walters won two of three singles sets while all

three of CdM’s starting doubles teams claimed two victories.

Hayley Young and Jami Steele, along with Michelle Atkins and

Roxanne Kaiden, earned 6-2 and 6-3 victories, respectively, over

Northwood’s No. 1 duo of Rina Nakano and Yuka Kondo.

CdM junior Rachael Miller and sophomore Miranda Young suffered

their first league doubles setback with a 6-3 loss to Nakano and

Kondo, but followed with two convincing 6-1 victories.

Steele also partnered with Rachel Bryan for the third set and the

duo earned a 6-1 triumph against Mariel Caille and Stephanie Wong.

CdM led, 9-3, after the second round and secured the triumph when

Damion and junior Lindsay Norman each tallied victories early in the

third round.

Ricker praised both Damion and his doubles teams.

“Damion is our steadiest player,” Ricker said. “She is on a roll.

“Our doubles have been steady and strong and [Northwood] has good

doubles [teams]. [CdM doubles players] have been consistent at the

baseline, aggressive at the net and not making unforced errors.

“I’ve stressed poaching [when the net player moves laterally to

hit a ball].”

Chemistry also helps, said sophomore Hayley Young, who has played

with Steele, a senior, the majority of the season.

“We communicate well and trust each other,” Hayley Young said.

Steele and Hayley Young have lost just one league match while

Miranda Young, Hayley’s twin sister, has gone 36-6 in doubles this

season.

Walters is 24-0 in doubles, but Ricker said injuries have forced

him to move her into singles, where she battled Yoo before

succumbing, 6-4, with teammates and coaches from both teams cheering

on both players in the final match.

The Sea Kings essentially used Thursday’s match as a tune-up for

the league finals and the CIF Division I playoffs after earning the

program’s eighth straight league crown with Monday’s 10-8 victory

against Tesoro.

“The pressure was off, but we want to win as much as we can in

preparation for CIF,” Hayley Young said.

The Sea Kings visit Laguna Beach in the league finale at 3 p.m.

Monday before the league finals, which run Tuesday through Thursday

at the Costa Mesa Tennis Center.

First-round CIF Southern Section playoff matches begin Nov. 11.

*--*

Pacific Coast League

Corona del Mar 13, Northwood 5

Singles -- Norman (CdM) lost to Pattugalan, 1-6, lost to Yoo, 0-6, def. Merigold, 6-3; Damion (CdM) won, 6-1, 7-5, 6-1; Walters (CdM) won, 6-4, lost, 4-6, won, 6-1.

Doubles -- H. Young-Steele (CdM) def. Kurtz-Young, 6-0, def. Nakano-Kondo, 6-2, (Sub) Bryan for H. Young, def. Caille-Wong, 6-1; M. Young-Miller (CdM) won, 6-1, lost, 3-6, won, 6-1; (Subs) McKitterick-Chen (CdM) lost, 4-6, Atkins-Kaiden (CdM) won, 6-3,

6-3.

*--*