Perfect 10 for CdM

CORONA DEL MAR — Melissa Matsuoka held the ice pack on her right wrist, still getting back into the swing of playing singles after returning from an early-season injury.

She has played five singles sets so far, and has won all 30 games played.

Sound hot? Visiting University High would probably agree. The Trojans couldn’t ice Matsuoka and the Sea Kings on Tuesday.

Corona del Mar continued to look pretty unstoppable, winning the Pacific Coast League match, 12-6, and it wasn’t as close as the score might indicate.

A better number? Try 10, which is the number of consecutive league titles that CdM has now won. They clinched the outright title after beating their rival.

“[University] was a really good team,” Matsuoka said of the opponent, ranked No. 4 in the CIF Southern Section Division I coaches’ poll. “But it just shows that we went above and beyond.”

The Sea Kings (13-0, 7-0 in league), ranked No. 1 in CIF Division I, really did.

Freshman Katelyn Nguyen also swept in singles, helping offset the absence of senior Paige Polizois. She was there to support her teammates, but CdM Coach Brian Ricker said Polizois was taking it easy after being involved in a minor car accident Monday.

“Melissa and Katelyn were bright spots,” Ricker said. “We have to have some strong singles in the playoffs, if we’re going to be successful.”

Still, Nguyen’s third match against Uni sophomore Elika Fateri wasn’t without drama as Nguyen called for a line judge early on.

“You just started,” Ricker said. “Did you play a point yet?”

Nguyen could smile about it after the match.

“The first point, we had a rally going on, and I guess she called it out,” Nguyen said. “I clearly thought it was in. I only call a line judge when I know it’s for sure in. If I’m not sure, then I’ll let it go, but that one I was pretty sure.”

The Sea Kings’ top two doubles teams also left no doubt. Seniors Danielle Kaiden and Lindsay Zotovich swept, and they’re now 35-0 on the season.

Senior Karen Ishii and junior Kelli Feeley, who also swept, are now 35-1.

“That’s two remarkable seasons right there,” Ricker said. “In years past, that would be a huge headline, and now we have two teams doing that. And we’re not stacking. It’s one thing if you take your best singles players and put them in doubles, but that’s not really the case.”

Corona del Mar, which has not had a match score closer than 11-7 this season, jumped on the Trojans (14-3, 4-2) early. The Sea Kings won five sets in the first go-round.

Also winning a doubles set were senior Rebecca Beyer and junior Azadeh Nazemi.

“We played the best we can play, and they’re just a great team,” University Coach John Kessler said. “Well-coached, good team, great talent, super-deep. I don’t know that there’s anybody that can beat them in CIF.”

CdM plays at Laguna Beach today and finishes its league schedule against Beckman on Monday.

Pacific Coast League

Corona del Mar 12, University 6

Singles – Matsuoka (CdM) def. Dawson, 6-0, (sub) Murray (CdM) lost to Heitzner, 0-6, Matsuoka def. Fateri, 6-0; K. Nguyen (CdM) won, 7-5, 6-2, 6-2; (sub) Wang (CdM) lost to (sub) Bormand (Uni), 3-6, E. Nguyen (CdM) lost, 2-6, 1-6.

Doubles – Kaiden-Zotovich (CdM) def. Yu-Lin, 6-1, def. Miller-Scott, 6-1, def. S. Radmehr-N. Radmehr, 6-0; Ishii-Feeley (CdM) won, 6-0, 6-2, 6-0; Beyer-Nazemi (CdM) lost to (sub) Yu-Sutton (Uni), 2-6, lost, 4-6, won, 6-2.