Daily Pilot High School Athlete of the Week

Melissa Matsuoka keeps mementos of her myriad athletic accomplishments in her bedroom. But perhaps the most prized piece of memorabilia representing the Corona del Mar High senior’s glorious tennis career sits hidden from view, tucked away, once again, in a family closet.

That item is an old, now-antique tennis racquet that Matsuoka fished from the back of the closet nine years ago and began hitting a ball against the garage door.

“It was a little mangled,” Matsuoka said of the outdated implement that triggered a passion that propelled Matsuoka to perennial heights in the sport, and, next fall, across the country to attend Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. “After a couple times of playing against the garage door, my parents took me to Sports Chalet and bought me a Wilson racquet. I’ve upgraded quite a bit since then.”

Matsuoka, a four-year varsity starter and three-year captain who led the Sea Kings to their 11th straight Pacific Coast League championship, has also upgraded her skills, said CdM Coach Brian Ricker.

“She has completely changed her game,” said Ricker, who has seen Matsuoka win the league singles title as a freshman and, along with Hailey Hogan, claim the league doubles crown in 2007 and this season. She was league singles runner-up as a junior.

“As a freshman, she was a defensive player, a little bit of a moon-baller, which was normal for a girl that age. Now, she’s a very aggressive player who hits the ball hard, closes well on the net, and has a lot of pace on her serve. It’s a changeover that has really been fun to watch. I’ve not seen another [CdM player in my 11 seasons] make that kind of change.”

Changes can also be seen in Matsuoka’s behavior. Always respectful, she was reticent to express herself early in her time with the Sea Kings. But, in her third season as captain, Matsuoka displays her maturity at matches, even before she steps onto the court.

“When the opposing team shows up for a [home] match, my role has been to greet the opposing coach and say Hi,” Ricker said. “I also make sure they understand where to put their stuff and where the restroom is. I just want to make them feel welcome.

“Now, I see Melissa do that. It’s part of her leadership role.”

Matsuoka, who has a 4.4 grade-point average and said she has never received a B, said it was her idea to stand in for her coach as the official greeter, a role that has surprised many opposing teams.

“I just love meeting new people and I want to encourage the [opponent] to have good sportsmanship,” said Matsuoka, who won a sportsmanship award from the Southern California Tennis Assn., which oversees junior tournaments. “Some coaches have really been surprised when I come up to them after they get off the bus.”

Merely getting on the bus for the crucial PCL match at University on Oct. 27, was, for Matsuoka, an act of heroism, Ricker said.

“I received an e-mail during the day that she had a 103-degree fever,” said Ricker, who quickly began thinking of alternate lineups, expecting his No. 1 singles player to stay home sick.

“In my mind, I didn’t expect her to play,” Ricker said. “How many kids get sick and are out for a week? I told her dad to take care of her health first and I planned to move on. So, I was surprised when I heard she was going to play.”

Matsuoka, whose singles win in the final set of the first Uni match helped set up a chance to win the title outright by beating the Trojans once again, said staying home was never an option.

“There was never a doubt I would play,” Matsuoka said. “I knew it was a really important match and I really wanted to play for my team.”

Matsuoka, shifted to doubles as a concession to her illness, swept, including a crucial tiebreaker win with partner Elizabeth Nguyen in the final set of the match. Due to darkness, the set, after the first point in the tiebreaker, was moved to nearby Racquet Club of Irvine.

The Matsuoka-Nguyen triumph clinched the match, the outright league crown and, most likely, the No. 4 seed in the upcoming CIF Division I playoffs that begin next week.

CdM won the Division I title when Matsuoka was a freshman and has reached the title match the last two seasons.

Matsuoka will also team with Hogan to contend for the section doubles title.

“It’s hard to win CIF in singles or doubles,” Ricker said. “But I like their chances.”