Sage reaches final

Lightning girls’ tennis team defeats Morro Bay, 14-4, Thursday to earn a chance to play for the CIF Southern Section Division V title.NEWPORT BEACH -- Making comparisons between tennis and football would seem like a tough task.

But Sage Hill School girls’ tennis coach A.G. Longoria found a way to slip it in following his team’s 14-4 CIF Southern Section Division V semifinal victory over Morro Bay on Thursday at the Balboa Bay Club Racquet Club.

“We’re like USC; we feel like the championship is ours to lose,” Longoria said, comparing his tennis squad with the Trojans football team, ranked No. 1 in the nation. “But this is our first time in the big show, so we don’t quite know what to expect.”

The powerhouse Lightning (21-3), who went undefeated in the Academy League for the title, earned Division V’s top seed this month and has been handily living up to that standard.

Sage Hill has ousted its opponents by a combined 64-8 in the postseason, while Thursday’s win over the fourth-seeded Pirates (17-4) put the team over the hump and into the CIF final for the first time in school history following two straight semifinal losses the past two years.

Longoria said he has seen this day coming for a while.

“It’s not hard making the lineup for every match,” he said.

The Lightning will face Aquinas in the final at 1:30 p.m. Monday at the Claremont Club with a chance to be the school’s first, or second, CIF champion.

The Sage Hill girls’ volleyball team plays in the CIF Division IV-A final on Saturday and could make school history.

Regardless, a CIF title for the tennis team would be exceptional, multiple players said.

“It would be amazing; it’s so exciting to be in the final,” said junior Sarah Geocaris, who swept her singles sets, 6-0, 6-0, 6-3, on Thursday.

Added sophomore Ashley Adams, who swept her singles sets, 6-0, 6-0, 6-0: “I think we will do fine. If we keep our concentration, I think we can win.”

Going by prior results, Sage Hill’s chances look positive. The team defeated Aquinas, 14-4, in the Lightning Invitational earlier this year, and the squad is 21-0 against Division V opponents this season.

Sage Hill’s only three losses came at the hands of Division I teams.

“We have a good chance to go all the way,” said junior Stephanie Langer, who won her two singles sets, 6-3, 6-0.

CIF Southern Section Division V

Semifinals

Sage Hill 14,

Morro Bay 4

Singles -- Langer (SH) def. Roger, 6-3, def. Dauer, 6-0, sub Williams, lost to O’Steen, 6-3; Adams (SH) won, 6-0, 6-0, 6-0; Geocaris (SH) won, 6-0, 6-0, 6-3.

Doubles -- Hsu-Spivack (SH) def. Redman-Miller, 6-3, def. Rowlee-McPhetridge, 6-1, lost to Porter-Dauer, 6-1; Graham-Smrecek (SH) won, 6-3, 7-6, 6-1; Andrews-Cummings (SH) won, 6-1, lost, 6-4, 6-1.

200511187M1L32ABNo Caption20051118iq4mv8knKENT TREPTOW / DAILY PILOT(LA)Sage Hill’s Stephanie Langer returns a shot during a CIF semifinal match against Morro Bay.