CdM stuns Dolphins

CORONA DEL MAR — Melissa Matsuoka now could let go of her racquet.

She grabbed her right wrist and placed an ice bag on top of it Wednesday. Standing nearby was Corona del Mar High girls’ tennis coach Brian Ricker.

Matsuoka walked over and asked him if she could take the next day off.

“It’s up to you,” Ricker said.

Matsuoka didn’t need an excuse. Ricker saw her wrist, the one helping her swing away.

She earned today off after her stellar play against Dana Hills, ranked No. 1 in the CIF Southern Section Division I coaches’ poll.

The junior played doubles, allowing the No. 2 Sea Kings to dominate doubles action and win the nonleague match, 11-7, at home.

Three times in Ricker’s five years at CdM he’s viewed his team winning a match as the underdog.

This was one of the three.

“I don’t think anybody gave us a chance,” Ricker said. “That’s what makes it more fun.”

Fun times indeed followed.

The Sea Kings got a little revenge against the team they lost to in the CIF Southern Section Division I championship last year and fell short of winning back-to-back titles.

The way the Sea Kings (9-0) pulled it off, handing the Dolphins (10-1) their first loss of the season, was relying on their strength.

Ricker likes to say doubles play is CdM’s trademark. No arguing that Wednesday.

The Sea Kings claimed eight of the nine doubles sets.

Matsuoka, the team’s top singles player, has played mostly doubles since her return last week from a strained wrist injury sidelining her for two months.

She played No. 3 doubles with senior Paige Polizois. They swept their sets. The last one turned a little heated at a time when CdM had already clinched the match.

Dana Hills’ No. 1 doubles team of Leyla Simmons and Victoria Wing went into Wednesday undefeated.

They were desperate to not lose their second set of the day. CdM’s No. 1 doubles team of seniors Danielle Kaiden and Lindsay Zotovich gave Simmons and Wing a 6-2 loss earlier.

Kaiden and Zotovich swept their sets, only dropping two games, and improved to 21-0.

Every point was big for Simmons and Wing against CdM.

It appeared Matsuoka and Polizois took control of the set, going ahead, 5-3. But the Dolphins ruled a ball out.

A couple of Dolphins, looking through the fence, voiced their opinion.

Someone told them to not to get involved. They continued.

“We can’t back down because it was a big point,” Matsuoka said. “We would’ve had a two-game lead.”

The Sea Kings played the point over and lost. The do-over didn’t affect Matsuoka and Polizois as they went on to win, 6-4.

The next do-over would be in the playoffs, where Dana Hills and CdM might play again.

The season’s first meeting, which No. 2 singles player Brynn Boren missed for the Dolphins due to playing at an out-of-state tournament, played out drastically different than last year’s regular-season match at Dana Hills.

“We just got killed,” said Ricker, whose team lost, 13-5. “It was a rude awakening for everybody. Our singles girls got beat worse than they can ever get beat. Doubles, just nothing worked.”

What was CdM’s mindset going into Wednesday’s match as both teams had practically the same players as last year?

“We had nothing to lose,” Zotovich said.

The Sea Kings gained a lot.

When the rankings are released next week, CdM will be No. 1 if it wins a Pacific Coast League match today at Beckman at 3 p.m.

Ricker reminded his players of the key to staying on top. Winning the rest of the regular-season matches to earn the top seed in the playoffs is an excellent way.

“There [are] really three teams in Division I that are head and shoulders above the other teams, Dana [Hills], CdM and [No. 3] Palos Verdes,” Ricker said. “Last year, Dana [Hills] had to play Palos Verdes in the semis and they tied, 9-9, and won on games.

“If we win out, that means [the Dolphins are] going to play [Palos Verdes] in the semis and we’ll get somebody else.”

Come playoff time, Matsuoka plans to be competing in No. 1 singles.

She’s OK right now with playing doubles and icing her wrist until it improves.

It sure felt pretty good after cooling off Dana Hills.

Nonleague

Corona del Mar 11, Dana Hills 7

Singles – Nazemi (CdM) lost to K. Smith, 0-6, lost to J. Smith, 0-6, def. Fevery, 6-4; E. Nguyen (CdM) lost, 0-6, 2-6, (sub) Beyer, won, 6-3; K. Nguyen (CdM) lost, 4-6, 2-6, won, 6-1.

Doubles – Kaiden-Zotovich (CdM) def. Simmons-Wing, 6-2, def. Beck-Wilke, 6-0, def. Tomaiko-Winkle, 6-0; Ishii-Feeley (CdM) lost, 6-1, won, 7-5, 6-2; Matsuoka-Polizois (CdM) won, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at david.carrillo@latimes.com.