CdM, Sage in CIF quarters

Rick Devereux

And then there were two.

Of the five Newport-Mesa girls tennis teams in the CIF Southern

Section playoffs, only Corona del Mar High and Sage Hill School

remain alive headed into the quarterfinals.

Costa Mesa, Estancia and Newport Harbor were eliminated in the

second round.

CdM (17-3) is the No. 3 seed in Division I, while Sage (14-6) is

seeded No. 4 in Division V.

The Sea Kings will travel to Harvard-Westlake (16-3) today for the

2 p.m. match. The Wolverines defeated Redondo Union, 17-1, in the

opening round and Newport Harbor, 12-6, in the second round to

advance to the quarterfinals.

Sage Hill will play Cabrillo from Lompoc (13-4) today at the

Balboa Bay Club Racquet Club at 2 p.m.

CdM, the Pacific Coast League champion for the eighth consecutive

year, swept Rosary, 18-0, in the first round and defeated host

Mission Viejo, 17-3, in the second round. The Sea Kings won

back-to-back CIF Division IV titles in 2000 and 2001 and have

captured seven section championships.

Harvard-Westlake, a four-time CIF champion, has three common

opponents with Corona this year. The Warriors, the Mission League

champion, beat Mater Dei, 11-7, and lost to Peninsula, 11-7, and Dana

Hills, 13-5.

CdM lost to Peninsula, 10-8, and beat Mater Dei, 15-3, and Dana

Hills, 11-7.

Sophomore Jill Damion has been a top performer at the No. 1

singles spot for CdM. Damion, who won the league doubles title with

freshman Alexandra Walters, has won five of her six sets in the

playoffs and has surrendered only eight total games, sweeping four

sets.

The No. 1 doubles team of Hayley Young and Jami Steele has won all

four postseason sets they have played, losing only six games in the

process.

Sage Hill defeated San Dimas, 15-3, in the opening round and

Granite Hills, 16-2, in the second round to advance to the

quarterfinals.

Sophomore Sarah Geocaris has yet to lose a game in her six sets in

the playoffs. She played No. 1 singles in the opening round and No. 2

singles in the second round.

Sophomore Stephanie Langer has won all six of her sets as well,

while only losing four games.

Sarah Flynn and Alle Hsu, the No. 1 doubles team, has won all four

sets they have played in the playoffs. They were substituted for in

the third round of both playoff wins.

Salen Andrews and Carissa Cummings have won all five of their

postseason sets at No. 2 doubles for the Lightning.

Cabrillo opened the playoffs with an 11-7 victory over Archer

followed by a 14-4 upset win over Orange League champion Savanna.

Today’s winners advance to Thursday’s semifinals.

Cabrillo finished second in the Los Padres League.