Costa Mesa strong at the top of its lineup

The Costa Mesa High girls tennis team finished third in the Golden

West League and fell in the first round of the CIF Southern Section

Division V playoffs last season.

This year, the Mustangs are strong at the top but not very long in

the tooth. Costa Mesa boasts seven players new to varsity

competition, but the team looks exceptional in No. 1 singles and No.

1 doubles.

Returning as the No. 1 singles player is senior Evelyn Wallace, an

all-league pick last year who also is a ranked USTA singles player.

Wallace picked up a tennis racquet for the first time in her life

three years ago and proved to be a quick learner. She enters her

fourth season as the team’s No. 1 singles player.

“Evelyn is an aggressive baseline player with a consistent first

serve -- it travels more than 80 mph -- and she has a solid

forehand,” Costa Mesa Coach Sean Lance said. “She really has

developed her game over the last 12 months by competing in the USTA

junior tournaments and performing a rigorous strength-training

program.”

All-Golden West League seniors Hong-An Nguyen and Gwendolyne

Martinez return as the team’s No. 1 doubles team.

“Their primary strength is Gwen’s big first serve, which

complements Hong-An’s ball placement and consistency at the net,”

Lance said. Martinez and Nguyen should contend for the Golden West

League’s doubles title.

Junior Linh Hoang, who was slated to play No. 2 singles, decided

not to return after enrolling in four AP classes.

Junior Jasmine Mathieson is slated to play No. 2 doubles and

sophomore Lindsay Levanas will play No. 3 doubles.

The lineup is filled out with a solid group of players new to

varsity competition, including Nhung Nguyen, a two-year doubles

starter on the junior-varsity team; Janae Rivera, a first-year

doubles player who competes for the school’s softball team; Hang Le,

a singles player on the junior-varsity team last year who will

compete for a doubles spot; Jennifer Courtney, a first-year player

who competes for the school’s varsity girls basketball team; Nikki

Pierstorff, a two-year junior-varsity singles starter; freshman

Sandra Im, who is slated to start at No. 3 singles; and freshman Cori

Patelski, a soccer player who will compete for a doubles spot.

“We all have worked together to help the newcomers to the sport

and develop their playing skills around their competitive drive to

win,” Lance said. “We hope this will be the catalyst to help Mesa

earn a spot in the CIF Southern Section playoffs this year.”

The Mustangs expect to finish in the top three in the Golden West

League.

“By midseason our inexperienced players should be playing near

their maximum potential, and I hope to add more strategies and

tactics to their game plan to prepare them for the CIF playoffs,”

Lance said.