Duo finishes second

SEAL BEACH — Youth was served Friday afternoon at the Seal Beach Tennis Center for Campbell Hall High sophomore Valerie Thong and freshman Zoe Katz.

On the other side of the net, Corona del Mar girls’ tennis coach Brian Ricker proclaimed it the end of an era.

“It was a good run and now the Hogan-Matsuoka era is over,” Ricker said after CdM seniors Hailey Hogan and Melissa Matsuoka fell to Thong and Katz in the CIF Individuals doubles final, 7-5, 6-4.

Hogan and Matsuoka were just freshmen in 2006 when CdM won the CIF Southern Section Division I team championship. Ricker said in four years, they helped contribute to an 86-6 Sea Kings record and a program that now, year in and year out, has been in the upper echelon.

“At CdM, we have so many talented, hard-working girls that even the ‘bad’ years are good years,” Ricker said. “But the really good years started when Hailey and Melissa showed up. We had other good players on that championship team, but as soon as they arrived ... it was a four-year run with those two girls as the core of our team. Even that first year, we had Jill Damion, [Cierra] Gaytan-Leach, the Youngs [twins Hayley and Miranda]. But adding those two into that team, I think that pushed us over the hump.”

But this year, it was Campbell Hall’s turn on top. The school, located in Studio City, won the Division I team crown by upending top-seeded Dana Hills. And the Vikings’ No. 1 doubles team, Thong and Katz, was at it again Friday.

They zoomed out to a 5-2 lead in the opening set before CdM rallied to tie it at 5-5. With Hogan serving, however, the game went to three deuces, and it was ad-out when Thong stretched for a volley that split Matsuoka and Hogan right down the middle. The point gave Campbell Hall a 6-5 lead and allowing Thong to successfully serve for the set.

“Those [volleys] were unbelievable,” Matsuoka said. “We couldn’t believe it. Against other people they would be winners, but they just kept getting balls back. They just came out and played well. They didn’t give us many opportunities.”

Campbell Hall then jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second set and had a chance to make it 4-0 before Matsuoka and Hogan got a key break of serve. Campbell Hall Coach Steve Kuechel started running his fingers through his hair..

“They like the drama,” he said of his young stars. “4-0, it’s over.”

CdM battled back to 3-3 but Hogan’s serve was again broken, giving the Vikings a 4-3 lead. They won the next game as well and, up 5-4, survived three break points to end the match. It was the second straight year Campbell Hall won the doubles final; the Vikings’ Sabrina Santamaria and Sarah Lee took it last year.

Ricker thought Matsuoka and Hogan played well, but was also impressed with the Campbell Hall tandem.

“They’re just so tough at the net,” he said. “Not only playing defense at the net, but when we hit good shots, not only were they getting them back but they were placing them also. Really solid volleyers, competitors. Having played together all year long, I thought you could see it in their strategy, with all the different formations they played. They made it tough for our girls to get into any rhythm on the returns.”

Hogan had been successfully using a serve-and-volley strategy throughout the tournament. Against Campbell Hall, it was tougher, as returns routinely landed right back at her feet.

“They were both really solid, good hands,” Hogan said. “I feel like I was probably too stubborn. I guess I would rather lose playing my game than stay back. I don’t know, we probably should have stayed back and tried something different, but I thought it was going to come around and work.”

The CdM duo advanced to the finals by topping the sister team of Della and Elle Taylor of Redondo Union, 6-2, 6-4, earlier Friday. They broke the Taylors’ serve a combined eight of nine times during that match.

Matsuoka and Hogan were still the first CdM girls’ team to make the CIF Individuals finals since Taylynn Snyder and Brittany Holland in 2002. As such, they’ll get a prestigious board placed on the fence at the school; call it a going-away present before they start college at Dartmouth and Johns Hopkins, respectively.

“I’ve just made so many good friends from it,” Hogan said of her high school career. “I’m sad it’s over. I look back on it and it’s been so much fun. I probably wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Except for today,” she added.