No sweat this time

FULLERTON — This time there was no high drama.

Most of the Corona del Mar High girls’ tennis players remember their trip to Troy High last November, when the underdog Sea Kings shocked the Warriors, 10-8, in the CIF Southern Section Division I semifinals.

On Tuesday, though, a return trip wasn’t nearly as stressful. Inexperience is Troy’s Achilles’ heel this year, and CdM breezed by, 15-3, in the nonleague match.

Of course, CdM’s players hadn’t forgotten what happened last time around.

“I’m not going to lie, I was really nervous coming up here again,” said senior Karen Ishii, who easily won three doubles sets Tuesday with junior partner Kelli Feeley. “We were talking about that, actually, on the bus. Danielle [Kaiden] was talking about how it was really scary, because the last time we were here it was such a big deal. We kind of had nerves, but after we got our focus down, we just realized we need to come out here and do what we usually do.”

Kaiden and fellow senior Lindsay Zotovich also easily won three doubles sets for CdM (3-0), ranked No. 2 in the Division I coaches’ poll. Troy (0-3), which is rebuilding after losing seven seniors from last year’s team, is tied for 10th in the poll.

It was an anti-climatic end to the rivalry with Troy for Corona del Mar Coach Brian Ricker, who said the teams won’t play next year because Troy graduates too many girls. For Ricker and Troy Coach Donna Judd, the rivalry dates back to when Ricker was coach at Laguna Beach in 2002 and ’03.

“It’s really been a fun rivalry,” Ricker said. “She’s always had the great superstar players, and we’ve had to do it in doubles mostly.

“We wrecked their last two years,” he added, noting that CdM won the Division I title over Troy in 2006. “I feel bad for the Troy kids, but someone’s got to win, right?”

Judd, in earshot, could only smile.

“That hurt,” she said of last year’s match. “But it was a classic, quality match ... [Corona del Mar] is a quality team with a quality coach, and it always has been.”

Even in singles, the Sea Kings had Troy’s number Tuesday. Freshman Katelyn Nguyen, playing No. 1 singles with junior Melissa Matsuoka (strained right wrist) still out, had two wins before she was subbed out. The first win, especially, raised some eyebrows, when Nguyen beat Troy senior Stefanie Villajuan, 6-2.

Villajuan, who has verbally committed to play at the University of Louisville, is ranked No. 55 in Southern California in girls’ 18 singles. Nguyen is ranked No. 16 in the girls’ 14s.

Elizabeth Nguyen also won two singles sets for CdM, and Rebecca Beyer, Betsy Murray and Karoline Wang won a set each. But the doubles was where the experienced Sea Kings continue to be truly dominant. They’ve won 38 of 39 doubles sets this season.

Azadeh Nazemi won two doubles sets Tuesday, one each with Paige Polizois and Auriel O’Neil.

“[The seniors] have all experienced it for three or four years, so they know how to lead and support,” Feeley said. “I just want to follow in their footsteps. This year, I feel like we’re so much more united, and we’re great friends. It’s going to be a great season.”

Nonleague

Corona del Mar 15, Troy 3

Singles – K. Nguyen (CdM) def. Villajuan, 6-2, def. Chen, 6-0, (sub) Murray (CdM) def. Lee, 6-3; E. Nguyen (CdM) lost, 1-6, won, 6-0, 6-0; Beyer (CdM) lost, 0-6, (sub) Wang (CdM) won, 6-4, Beyer won, 6-0.

Doubles – Zotovich-Kaiden (CdM) def. Hui-Radde, 6-2, def. Vicaldo-Vo, 6-1, def. Kim-Chang, 6-0; Ishii-Feeley (CdM) won, 6-2, 6-1, 6-0; Nazemi-Polizois (CdM) lost, 1-6, (sub) Nazemi-O’Neil (CdM) won, 6-0, Nazemi-Polizois won, 6-1.