Doubles help Sage advance

NEWPORT BEACH — Isa-Maria Taskinen had plenty on her mind aside from tennis Thursday at the Balboa Bay Club Racquet Club.

The Sage Hill senior was thinking about a college interview with Northeastern University at 8 p.m. She also has two college applications, essays included, due today.

But Taskinen was all about tennis when she was with her teammates playing against South Hills. After all, it was the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division IV playoffs. The college process could wait till later. Taskinen was busy with freshman Rian Billingsley, playing as the Lightning’s No. 1 doubles team. The tandem won 18 out of 18 games to spark Sage Hill’s 12-6 victory.

“It’s pretty stressful,” Taskinen said of her situation at this point of her senior year. “A lot of applications. The whole process is going on right now during the tennis season.”

The Lightning (21-7), seeded No. 2, were a bit stressed against the Huskies (14-6), who were strong in singles. Usually Sage Hill has the advantage in singles with Julia Blakeley, Jaclyn Smrecek and Katie Bick. But the Lightning leaned on their doubles teams, which earned nine victories.

Laney Tucker and Sarah Choi, the Lightning’s No. 2 doubles team, also won all 18 of their games, while the No. 2 doubles team of Devyn Billingsley and Dominique Moore dropped just four games in their sweep.

“I’m glad we had a tough match like this,” said Sage Hill Coach A.G. Longoria, whose team will play at Oxnard in the second round. “Usually we’ve been relying on our singles to carry us, so it’s nice that our doubles team carried us.”

Taskinen and Rian Billingsley definitely had the confidence coming into the match. They qualified for the CIF Individuals doubles tournament after reaching the title match in the Academy League Championships last week. They knocked off the top seed in the semifinals.

Now they’re hoping their doubles play can provide Sage Hill with a CIF championship.

“I think we definitely have the talent and the depth to win [the CIF title],” Taskinen said. “It’s just a matter of working hard these next couple weeks.”

CIF Division IV playoffs

Sage Hill 12, South Hills 6

Singles – Blakeley (Sage) lost to Johnson, 6-7, (sub) Soleimary (Sage) def. Madrigal, 6-3, (sub) Astorino (Sage) lost to Escobedo, 1-6; Smrecek (Sage) lost, 2-6, 0-6, (sub) Steele (Sage) won, 6-4; Bick (Sage) lost, 2-6, 2-6, won, 6-2.

Doubles – Taskinen-R. Billingsley (Sage) def. Yu-Richardson, 6-0, def. Wang-Ona, 6-0, def. Glass-Canamar, 6-0; D. Billingsley-More (Sage) won, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2; Tucker-Choi (Sage) won, 6-0, 6-0, 6-0.

STEVE VIRGEN may be reached at (714) 966-4616 or by e-mail at steve.virgen@latimes.com.