Sage to play for CIF title

NEWPORT BEACH — This was the girls’ tennis match Sage Hill School had wanted for the past year.

The Lightning’s season abrubtly ended last year in the CIF Southern Section Division IV quarterfinals with a loss at Walnut. This time, they wanted a different story to be written.

In the end, with his team sitting on the steps near center court at Balboa Bay Club Racquet Club, Coach A.G. Longoria told the girls what was next in a simple statement.

“We’re going to the show,” he said.

The show would be the CIF Division IV title match Monday at 1:30 p.m at the Claremont Club. The Lightning (24-6) will be able to perform there because of their 13-5 semifinal victory over Walnut (19-2) Friday.

The Mustangs lost eight seniors, six who started, to graduation from last year’s team, Walnut Coach Lee Shiomoto said. But the Mustangs still played Sage tough each round.

“For us this was total revenge,” said senior Ally Smart, who contributed two wins at No. 3 doubles with Katie Bick. “It was great to play them again, this time at home. It was the complete opposite and it went our way.”

Smart remembered the pain from last year, when Sage Hill lost 10-8. She was recovering from a wrist injury, but was able to contribute one win then. This year, her play was more important.

Fellow senior Sarah Choi did not play Friday because she had a college interview in Los Angeles, Longoria said. The tennis match was originally scheduled for Thursday, but pushed to Friday because Walnut wanted a day to rest since it played in the quarterfinals Thursday with all the postponing from the recent fires.

Smart was anxious to step in and make the most of the opportunity to play.

“I haven’t really played a lot in the playoffs,” Smart said. “So this is big for me.”

Smart and Bick weren’t the only ones winning in doubles. The No. 1 doubles team of Isa-Maria Taskinen and Jaclyn Smercek, and the No. 2 tandem of Devyn Billinglsey and Dominique Moore swept their sets to help the Lightning win eight in doubles.

Bick usually plays in singles, as does Smercek, but Longoria moved them to strengthen his doubles. Julia Blakeley played at No. 1 singles and swept with scores of 6-0, 6-2, 6-0. Rian Billingsley pulled out a tough 7-6 (3) win and Laney Tucker also had a victory.

Longoria can only hope things go as smoothly on Monday when the Lightning face Academy League rival St. Margaret’s. Sage Hill will try to win its first CIF title since 2005 against the top-seeded Tartans, who are undefeated. St. Margaret’s beat the Lightning, 10-8, Oct. 17 and, 14-4, Oct. 23.

“I’m going to pray for a miracle,” Longoria said. “These girls are going to fight as hard as they can and we’re going to try to make it respectable. It’s going to be tough.”

CIF Division IV playoffs

Semifinal

Sage Hill 13, Walnut 5

Singles – Blakeley (SH) def. Patel, 6-0, def. Peng, 6-2, def. Kim, 6-0; R. Billingsley (SH) def. (sub) Feng, 7-6 (3), lost, 1-6, 3-6; Tucker (SH) def. Feng, 6-2, lost, 1-6, 0-6.

Doubles – Taskinen-Smercek (SH) def. Caklven-Tanti, 6-1, def. Lu-Lee, 6-3, def. Ho-Hui, 6-2; D. Billingsley-Moore (SH) won, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2; Smart-Bick (SH) won, 6-4, lost, 4-6, won, 6-4.