Lightning win easily, advance to title match

NEWPORT BEACH — A touch of sadness was guaranteed for the Sage Hill School girls’ tennis team in its CIF Southern Section Division IV semifinal match against South Torrance.

Regardless of the result it would be the final match at the Balboa Bay Club Racquet Club, the Lightning’s home court, for eight Sage Hill seniors, Salen Andrews, Carissa Cummings, Sarah Geocaris, Alle Hsu, Stephanie Langer, Erica Spivack, Raya Tasker and Cellin Neal.

The group has won more Academy League titles than any other sports team at Sage Hill (three) and has reached the section semifinals three times. After a 16-2 drubbing of South Torrance Thursday, the seniors have reached the section finals two years in a row.

The top-seeded Lightning will face No. 2-seeded Valencia (23-1) of Placentia for the section title Monday at the Claremont Club at 1:30 p.m.

Sage Coach A.G. Longoria remembered how the group started out, with his plan to have the Division V team start off with matches against Division I opponents.

“I remember when they were freshman and we took a lot of losses,” Longoria said. “The parents were concerned that we were playing too tough a schedule. But we made it to the semis and lost 10-8 to the eventual champion. That’s why we schedule Division I schools.

“At the end of their freshman year they saw. The preseason we played Laguna Beach, CdM and Northwood. The esteem was really low. But then when we got to the Academy League season we started winning easily.”

Langer, who won both of her sets at No. 1 singles before substituting out, recalled the seniors beginning from a player’s perspective.

“I had no idea when we were practicing, which court, who do we play,” Langer said.

The group quickly developed a bond with one another.

Geocaris, who won 6-0, 6-0 and was replaced by a substitute, took over the duties of the team chant when it was passed down to her from a senior her freshman year.

“Knock ‘em down. Roll ‘em around,” Geocaris would shout.

And the team would finish it off by screaming “Come on Lightning strike!”

“We’ve done it all four years,” said Hsu, who with doubles partner Jaclyn Smrecek won 6-1, 6-1, before teaming with Allyson Smart to win 6-1. “I think I’ll just miss being together.”

Hsu and Smrecek went 36-0 in league and won the doubles MVP for the league. But Sage Hill (23-1) has a strong No. 2 doubles team in Cummings and Andrews, who have been together three years.

“We’re friends and in doubles chemistry is everything,” said Cummings, who returned for the South Torrance match from a dislocated shoulder she suffered 10 days ago. “We just go out there and have a good time. When you have an amazing partner like Salen it makes it easy to have fun. I’m going to miss my partner and my team. We have a unique team in that everyone is close.”

Sage is also a bit unique because it made the jump from Division V, where it won the title last year, to Division IV and remained as strong.

“I was a little nervous just because it is Division IV and we’re a small school,” Geocaris said. “But we did really well this year. We worked really hard over the summer and playing Division I teams gave us a lot of practice.”

Despite the season of dominance, Sage tries not be too confident.

“We just need to stay where we are, level headed and not too cocky,” Geocaris said. “Coach always tell us to focus on how to improve. He is encouraging not discouraging or taking away from our win. He keeps us working hard.”

Longoria said the match with Valencia will be close.

“It will be a war,” he said. “They have three outstanding singles players and a good No. 1 doubles team. They are well coached.”

There are long-time team functions that have been put on hold. Trips to El Torito after matches were routine, but the Lightning are saving the next trip until after the section final.

“Maybe Monday,” Langer said. “This was my last time playing on this court with this team. I’m going to miss playing with these girls.”

CIF Division IV

Semifinal

Sage Hill 16, So. Torrance 2

Singles -- Langer (SH) def. Gutierrez, 6-1, def. Kim, 6-4; (sub) Tucker (SH) lost to Croxton, 6-2; Geocaris (SH) won 6-0, (sub) Taskinen (SH) lost, 6-2, Geocaris won, 6-0; Adams won, 6-0, 6-0, 6-2.

Doubles -- Hsu-Smrecek (SH) def. Ly-Hosaka, 6-1; def. Giles-Lee, 6-1, (sub) Hsu-Smart (SH) def. Siu --Liu, 6-1; Cummings-Andrews won, 6-1, 6-2; (sub) Tasker-Andrews won, 6-1; Spivack-Dokich (SH) won, 6-0, 6-2, 6-4.