Sea Kings take in good life

LAGUNA BEACH — The advantages to having the deepest girls’ tennis team, as well as the best in the CIF Southern Section, keep piling up like victories for Corona del Mar High.

The latest, a 14-4 win over Laguna Beach Wednesday, added another triumph to the now stack of 15 for the undefeated Sea Kings.

The strength of the Corona del Mar team, which is ranked No. 1 in Division I, allowed for a decision to sacrifice home court. A sushi restaurant in Laguna Beach has half-price specials on Wednesdays and Corona del Mar makes a point to go out to eat together once a week.

So the match was moved from Corona del Mar to Laguna Beach and the Sea Kings quickly shuffled off the court once the match was won in order to beat the rush of sushi enthusiasts and bargain hunters.

Sea Kings Coach Brian Ricker was at the helm of the Laguna Beach tennis teams before moving on to Corona del Mar, so he knew all about the local cuisine.

“A very big part of high school sports is team camaraderie,” Ricker said.

Freshman Hailey Hogan, who won two of three sets as the No. 2 singles players, was excited for the opportunity to order a California roll, a personal favorite.

“It brings us together,” she said. “And we all like to eat so that’s good.”

Senior Jill Damion, the Sea Kings’ No. 1 singles player, agreed with the eating, but not the selection.

“I hate sushi,” she said. “I’ve been complaining about it all week. Fish is not meant to be eaten raw.”

“Everyone on the team gets a long really well,” Damion added. “No one is upset about spending more time than they have to with the team. Everyone wants everyone else to do well.”

The Sea Kings were not feeling well Wednesdy, when their depth ended up being a factor.

After Corona del Mar won its All-American Tournament on Saturday, the No. 1 doubles tandem of Hayley and Miranda Young flew to Boston to visit Tufts University. When the two exited the bus in preparation for their matches against the Breakers, Ricker made a decision.

“I told them to take the day off,” Ricker said. “They looked exhausted.”

The Sea Kings were also without Cierra Gaytan-Leach. She was healthy, but she was competing with the CdM girls golf team.

Damion as well as No. 3 singles player Flora Lee felt sick.

Lee had to forfeit her second match halfway through and Damion was limited to only two sets for the Sea Kings.

“I was feeling really dizzy and sick,” Damion said. “I couldn’t really move, I was kind of distracted by how I felt. I expected to have a better match than I did.”

Damion’s opening match was against Lyndsay Kinstler. The two have known each other from the junior tennis circuit prior to high school.

Kinstler, who has received a scholarship to play tennis at USC, is ranked No. 16 in Southern California while Damion is No. 46.

They chatted in between games.

“We just try to have fun and not make it too serious,” Damion said.

Up 2-1 Damion began to feel worse, errors followed and the match ended in a 6-2 loss. It was only the second loss of the year for Damion, who is 26-2.

“I think I just mentally gave out,” Damion said.

The Corona del Mar senior said she is back to playing the level of tennis she was accustomed to prior to tearing her rotator cuff and missing most of her junior year.

“I feel like my tennis is back to where it was before,” Damion said.

Hogan ended with the same result against Kinstler. After jumping ahead 2-1, Hogan dropped five in a row. But Hogan only dropped one game in the two previous sets to improve her record to 33-5.

“My first two sets were good, but my third, she’s just really good and really experienced,” Hogan said. “She just picked it up. She’s really smart.”

All three doubles teams swept for Corona del Mar. The No. 1 team of freshman Melissa Matsuoka and sophomore Lindsay Zotovich only dropped a game. Sophomore Karen Ishii and senior Michelle Atkins won handily as did the duo of sophomore Danielle Kaiden and senior Kelly McKitterick.

Nonleague

Corona del Mar 14, Laguna Beach 4

Singles -- Damion (CdM) lost to Kinstler, 2-6, def. Jaeger, 6-0, def. Yates-Robinsa, 6-3; Hogan (CdM) lost, 2-6, won, 6-1, 6-0; Lee (CdM) lost, 0-3 (default), 1-6, won, 6-0.

Doubles -- Matsuoka-Zotovich (CdM) def. Tran-Thigpen, 6-1, def. Russell-Hunter, 6-0, def. Azera-Smith, 6-0; Ishii-Atkins (CdM) won, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2; Kaiden-McKitterick (CdM) won, 7-6, 6-1, 6-1.