Hsu, Flynn reach CIF

Bryce Alderton

Sage Hill School girls tennis players didn’t walk away with any

individual titles following Saturday’s conclusion of the Academy

League championships, but for one Lightning doubles team, the journey

will continue.

Senior Sarah Flynn and sophomore Alle Hsu defeated Capistrano

Valley Christian’s Debbie Flipovich and Hanna Harris, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2,

in the league doubles semifinals Saturday at the Balboa Bay Club

Racquet Club to secure Sage Hill’s place in the CIF Southern Section

individual championships, which begin Nov. 20 at four sites,

including the Costa Mesa Tennis Center.

Flynn and Hsu, the No. 2 seed, then fell to fourth-seeded Tiffany

Huang and Kathryn McIntyre of St. Margaret’s, 6-3, 6-3, in the league

final, but remained upbeat, even flashing smiles after the loss. The

finalists in singles and doubles qualify for CIF.

“To get this far ... no one expected us to win,” Hsu said.

Sage Hill Coach A.G. Longoria said Hsu and Flynn’s feat is more

impressive considering Huang and McIntyre, along with Flipovich and

Harris, play mostly singles during the regular season.

“It’s hard playing a team of mostly singles players,” Longoria

said. “[Hsu and Flynn] had good return of serve, powerful

groundstrokes and improved with the volleys, which we have really

been working on. They are coming along.

“[Stephanie Langer, Sarah Geocaris, Hsu and Flynn] are peaking at

the right time.”

Geocaris, the No. 3 seed in singles, lost to eventual-singles

champion Carrissa Aboubakare, a Fairmont freshman, 6-3, 6-1, in one

semifinal Saturday while Langer, the fourth seed, fell to Carrissa’s

older sister, Bianca, 6-2, 6-2, in the other semifinal.

Bianca Aboubakare defeated Langer in the semifinals and Geocaris

in the league final last season.

Langer and Geocaris, both sophomores, were pleased with their

matches, however.

“I knew it was going to be tough getting to the finals,” Geocaris

said. “Carrissa is a great player and it was a great match.”

Langer saw encouraging sings with her serves and groundstrokes.

“I was more consistent [Saturday],” Langer said. “I was happy to

get as many games as I did.”

Hsu and Flynn’s aggressiveness paid off in their semifinal win,

but a strong-serving Huang helped neutralize the Sage duo in the

final.

Hsu and Flynn took a 3-1 lead in the second set, but Huang needed

just five points to hold serve and St. Margaret’s then broke on four

straight points to even the set at 3.

Hsu and Flynn led, 40-0, in the seventh game, but Huang and

McIntyre forced deuce and took the lead for good when a Lightning

forehand sailed long.

Huang tallied six aces, including one on match point.

“[Huang’s] first serve is powerful. You either get it or you

don’t,” said Flynn, who shared league doubles Most Valuable Player

honors with partner Jessica Tsoong last fall. “The second [serve] has

more spin, but the first serve is a killer.”

Flynn and Hsu said they need to communicate better and stay

aggressive at the net for the CIF team and individual tournament.

The Lightning, ranked third in CIF Division V, will find out their

first-round opponent for the team playoffs when playoff pairings are

announced Monday morning.

First-round matches will begin Thursday.