CdM seeks second upset, division title

In upsetting Troy in the CIF Southern Section Division I semifinals on Thursday, the Corona del Mar High girls’ tennis team avenged an earlier nonleague loss.

If the Sea Kings can do it again today , they’ll win their second straight CIF championship.

No. 3-seeded Corona del Mar (20-2) will play top-seeded Dana Hills (20-0) today at 11:30 a.m. at The Claremont Club for the championship.

When the teams played on Oct. 3, the Dolphins beat the Sea Kings, 13-5. It was Corona del Mar’s worst dual match loss since 2005, but CdM Coach Brian Ricker said his team has a lot more confidence now.

“It’s a really huge bonus for us to beat Troy in the semis,” Ricker said. “I think the confidence is up for all the girls. We’re in the best place we could be to come out with a championship.”

South Coast League champion Dana Hills and longtime coach Jim Wilson tied Palos Verdes on Thursday in their semifinal, 9-9, but won on games, 78-70. Dana Hills has not lost all year in the dual match format and the only setback it has encountered was losing to Troy in the championship match of the prestigious CdM All-American Tournament last month.

The Dolphins boast a strong singles trio of juniors Brynn Boren and Kristina Smith and freshman Joanna Smith. The three players won all eight of their sets in the teams’ nonleague match, including sweeps of CdM sophomores Hailey Hogan and Melissa Matsuoka.

“Their singles were dominant last time, but I think Hogan and Matsuoka are entitled to one bad day in two years,” Ricker said. “They’re playing great tennis right now.”

Boren is ranked No. 51 in the USTA Southern California girls’ 18s rankings, while Kristina Smith is No. 32 in the girls’ 16s and Joanna Smith is top-ranked in the girls’ 14s.

When CdM played Dana Hills earlier in the season, the three players won their sets by scores ranging from 6-0 to 6-3.

Corona del Mar lost its No. 1 and No. 2 singles players (Jill Damion and Cierra Gaytan-Leach) and No. 1 doubles team (Hayley and Miranda Young) from last year’s undefeated CIF championship squad.

This year’s young team has been led in singles all year by sophomores Hailey Hogan (ranked No. 22 in girls’ 16s) and Melissa Matsuoka (No. 35 in girls’ 16s).

But Hogan and Matsuoka come into the championship match with plenty of momentum after each getting two wins against Troy’s strong singles lineup.

The Sea Kings, who are led at No. 1 doubles by juniors Lindsay Zotovich and Karen Ishii, have also benefited from the emergence of the No. 2 doubles team of Paige Polizois and Danielle Kaiden.

Polizois and Kaiden, also both juniors, swept against Troy in the semifinal win.

Corona del Mar is looking for its eighth CIF championship in girls’ tennis, while Dana Hills seeks its third. The Dolphins also won a Division 3-A title in 1989 and the 1997 Division II title.

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or by e-mail at matthew.szabo@latimes.com.