Three still a charm for Eagles

Estancia’s girls’ tennis squad wins CIF Southern Section Division V playoff opener for the third consecutive season, winning easily against Oxford Academy.COSTA MESA -- For the last two years, Estancia’s girls’ tennis team has had no problems getting past the first round of the playoffs. This year was no different.

The Eagles defeated Oxford Academy, 15-3, in the opening round of the CIF-Southern Section Division V playoffs.

The senior doubles team of Krizia Tonin and Sarah Muradin swept its sets, 6-2, 6-1, 6-1. The pair improved its season record to 37-6.

Muradin was excited about her doubles team’s performance.

“Krizia was awesome, she made some killer shots today,” Muradin said.

The senior said she believes this team will advance much further this season.

“The last two years we made in to the second round and lost, 10-8, both times,” Muradin said. “This year we have a stronger team. We are playing more consistent. We have 12 seniors, and Ellie Edles.”

In singles, Edles and Sara Stratton each swept their sets. Edles improved her season record to 38-1, winning her sets, 6-0, 6-1, 6-0.

Stratton won her first two sets, 6-0, 6-1. In her opening set against Oxford’s Rachel Om, Stratton rallied from losing 2-1, to win, 6-4.

Eagles’ Coach Rachel de los Santos said she was pleased with her team’s performance.

“I was impressed with the play of our doubles today,” she said. “We got a major boost for the team when we won our first six doubles sets.”

“We always have Ellie [Edles] winning her sets, but our doubles teams set the pace,” de los Santos said.

The doubles team of Cathy Pittman and Sage O’Toole won their two sets, 6-4, 6-3.

Susan Cloud and Jennifer Johnston rallied to win their first set, 6-3. The duo won its second set, 6-4.

Both doubles teams gave way to substitutes in the third set, once the match was decided in Estancia’s favor.

The Patriots were dealt a blow when their top singles player, Emily Choi, sprained her wrist after her first set.

The only thing that might have stopped Estancia Thursday was the weather. The possibility of rain nearly postponed the match.

“When I woke up this morning, I doubted we would play today,” de los Santos said. “I’m glad we were able to get the match played. When you push back a playoff match, it messes the whole thing up.”

Estancia (16-2) will face Victor Valley of Victorville at 11 a.m. Saturday. Victor Valley won, 16-2, in their first round match against Mammoth. The site of the match will be determined by a coin flip Friday morning by CIF officials.

CIF Southern Section Division V

First round

Estancia 15, Oxford Academy 3

Singles -- Edles def. Choi, 6-0, def. Nguyen, 6-1, def. Om, 6-0; Morton (Est) won, 6-1, lost, 6-3, won, 6-0; Stratton (Est) won, 6-0, 6-1, 6-4.

Doubles -- Pittman-O’Toole def. Baik-Phan, 6-4, sub Cox-Phan lost to J.Kim-M.Kim, 6-2, Pittman-O’Toole def. Suk-Park, 6-3; Tonin-Muradin (Est) won, 6-2, 6-1, 6-1; sub Armstrong-Miller (Est) lost, 6-4, Cloud-Johnston (Est) won, 6-4, 6-3.

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