Third title just as sweet

This time, no tie-breaker was needed.

With a key player back in the line-up “” but still not at 100% “” the Laguna Beach girls’ tennis team on Tuesday laid claim to the program’s third straight Orange Coast League championship by turning back second-place Estancia, 13-5, on the Eagles’ home courts.

The Breakers had top singles player Alex Tachovsky for this rematch with the Eagles, although Tachovsky was only able to play “” and win “” two sets Tuesday. A stomach muscle injury she suffered in recent tournament play limited her, Laguna Coach Jimmy Gleason said.

Tachovsky missed the entirety of the first league meeting between the teams Oct. 9 due to illness. The teams finished the match tied but the Breakers got the victory based on holding a 77-71 edge in games.

There was no such drama this time around. The Breakers came out strong from the outset, winning four of six in the first round and five of six in round two.

“We played really well and having Alex back made a difference, although she was able to only play those two [sets],” Gleason said. “I think the difference between this match and our previous match with them was that our girls had really been working on being more aggressive at the net and closing points at the net. We were really using our strokes in a more precise way.”

With Tachovsky back in the line-up, Laguna players were able to pair up with their normal partners in doubles play.

The No. 1 team of Haley Moss/Lauren Michaels and No. 2 team of Heather Tran/McKenna Nokes, earned sweeps, Moss/Michaels by scores of 6-0, 6-1, 6-3 and Tran/Nokes by identical 6-3 scores.

“Haley is coming off a foot injury and is ready to explode,” Gleason said. “She and Lauren (Michaels) did a great job. I thought that Heather (Tran) was really powerful and explosive and McKenna (Nokes), who also is powerful, was really steady out there.”

In singles play, Tachovsky, who had to use an underhand serve because of her stomach injury, won her two sets, winning 6-1 over Natalie Plascencia and 6-0 over Erin O’Neil. Megan Marolf subbed in for Tachovsky and “did the best she could,” Gleason said, against Estancia’s top singles player, Ellie Edles.

Edles, who had earned a sweep against the Breakers back on Oct. 9. went on to defeat Marolf, 6-0, but got all she could handle from the Breakers’ No. 2 player, Maddie Jaeger, before hanging on for a 6-4 win.

The UC Davis-bound Edles also defeated No. 3 Claire Jaeger, 6-0.

Maddie Jaeger (6-1, 6-0) and Claire Jaeger (6-0, 6-0) each handily won their other two sets.

The win improved the Breakers, who are No. 8 in the CIF Division I poll, to 7-0 in league and 14-2 overall. They ended league play Thursday against Costa Mesa, but the score wasn’t available at press time.

Laguna also will host the league prelims and finals tournaments at 1 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday.