Sage upends Cajon, returns to semifinals

NEWPORT BEACH — Unable to clinch the match in the second round, Sage Hill School Coach A.G. Longoria gathered his girls’ tennis players.

“Time to turn on the lights,” said Longoria before addressing the team as it began to get dark at Balboa Bay Club Racquet Club Tuesday.

Shortly thereafter, the Lightning turned the lights off on Cajon of San Bernardino.

Sage Hill won, 13-5, in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division IV playoffs, making it the fifth time in six years the Lightning have advanced to the semifinals.

Sage Hill (23-6), the No. 2 seed, learns of its next opponent today. Longoria wants one particular team, No. 3-seeded Walnut.

The Mustangs play at South Torrance in a quarterfinal match, which was pushed back due to the poor air quality from the recent fires.

“We’d like another shot at them,” Longoria said, “even if [the match] is at their place.”

The Lightning haven’t forgotten about last year’s battle against Walnut. They used it as motivation to get past Cajon (21-6).

Walnut upset Sage Hill in last year’s quarterfinals, 10-8, ending a four-year streak in which the Lightning at least made a semifinal appearance.

“We kind of choked last year,” Sage Hill junior Julia Blakeley said. “We just had a couple of sets where we [were] up, 5-2, [and lost].

“This year, we’re ready to go and we really believe that we can do it.”

Blakeley and the rest of her teammates are thinking big.

A section championship is the goal.

Blakeley came out determined despite playing No. 1 singles with an ugly blister under her right foot.

The junior helped the Lightning jump out to an 8-1 lead. She beat Cajon’s Janesha Anthony, 6-2, in the opening set, and won every game against Allison Moncrief.

She wasn’t even supposed to play.

“I was supposed to take a couple of days off,” Blakeley said her doctor recommended. “I’m forming a new callous in my foot, so it’s really quite painful for me. I just tried not to think about it.”

Longoria gave no starter a break heading into the third round. Cajon cut the deficit, 8-4, and was still alive.

Everyone returned, including Blakeley. A teammate told her, “Go win another one on one foot.”

Blakeley just smiled.

“I wanted to play some of our [substitutes] … if we would’ve won by the second round,” Longoria said. “But we didn’t. [The Cowboys are] too good.

“I don’t sub unless the [match] is over one way or the other.”

Blakeley rested a little more than the rest of her teammates.

When she wrapped up her third and final set with a 6-0 victory against Christiana Garrett, Sage Hill had already won by taking the first two sets in the third round.

Sage Hill’s No. 2 doubles team of Devyn Billingsley and Dominique Moore delivered the clincher.

The duo served and returned well throughout its three sets. Only Cajon’s No. 1 doubles team of Drew Sahargun and Mackenzie Roddy managed to take two games against Billingsley and Moore.

“That’s the best they’ve played all year,” Longoria said. “We needed them to because early in the season when we played [rival] St. Margaret’s they did not win. We expected them to at least win one. They didn’t win any.

“We’re going to need them to be playing well for us to do well in the semis, and in the finals if we get that far.”

Billingsley and Moore said they’re ready for the challenge.

“We’re definitely getting to the finals,” said Moore, who not only wants to get revenge on Walnut for last season, but also top-seeded St. Margaret’s for beating out Sage Hill for the Academy League title during this season.

“We’re definitely really, really pumped to beat them.”

CIF Division IV playoffs

Quarterfinal

Sage Hill 13, Cajon 5

Singles – Blakeley (SH) def. Anthony, 6-2, def. Moncrief, 6-0, def. Garrett, 6-0; Smrecek (SH) won, 6-1, lost 2-6, won, 6-0; Tucker (SH) won, 6-1, lost, 4-6, lost, 4-6.

Doubles – Taskinen-R. Billingsley (SH) lost to Sahargun-Roddy, 2-6, def. Edgett-Jero, 6-0, def. Ruvolo-Brott, 6-0; D. Billingsley-Moore (SH) won, 6-2, 6-0, 6-0; Bick-Choi (SH) won, 6-2, lost, 6-7, won, 6-0.

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