High School Female Athletes of the Week: Reece Kenerson and Jane Paulsen helped CdM tennis earn another ring
The Corona del Mar High girls’ tennis team did not have a truly elite-level singles player this season.
The final three teams that the Sea Kings faced in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs did. Murrieta Valley sophomore Natalie Duffy swept her three sets against top-seeded CdM in the quarterfinals. So did Huntington Beach junior Kaytlin Taylor in the semifinals, and Los Angeles Marlborough junior Arianna Stavropoulous in the title match.
CdM coach Jamie Gresh knew his Sea Kings had to try to win 10 of the remaining 15 sets in each match, not an easy task. What made it easier was the emergence of the Sea Kings’ No. 1 doubles team of junior Reece Kenerson and sophomore Jane Paulsen.
Kenerson and Paulsen went 11-0 in the postseason to help deliver CdM its 10th CIF championship, and second in three years. The Sea Kings beat Marlborough 11-7 in the final on Nov. 15 at the Claremont Club.
The top-seeded Sea Kings defeat Los Angeles Marlborough 11-7 on Friday in Claremont, claiming their 10th CIF Southern Section championship.
“Their level of play was really solid,” Gresh said. “I just felt like any match I put them in, that they could win three [sets].”
Kenerson and Paulsen were the anchors of a strong doubles lineup for the Sea Kings. They were also superstitious.
Kenerson explained how they would put their water bottles on the same spot on the bench adjacent to CdM’s No. 1 doubles court every time. Paulsen would always serve first, and also always drank her favorite beverage.
“I always start with a blue Gatorade,” Paulsen said. “If I lose, I switch it out. I mean, it worked with the blue Gatorade. We’re just very superstitious.”
Whatever it was, it worked for the duo, which is 20-1 this season. They finished as Surf League individuals doubles champions and will compete in the first three rounds of the CIF Southern Section Individuals tournament on Monday at El Dorado Tennis Club in Long Beach.
They got to have fun after the Sea Kings (18-5) won the title at the Claremont Club, ending the year on a 15-match winning streak. It didn’t come without a scare in the second round.
Kenerson and Paulsen fell behind 5-3 to Marlborough’s Natalie Kim and Megan Wong in the second round, before rallying for a 7-5 victory. This helped CdM also take a 7-5 sets lead into the final round, instead of being tied 6-6.
“I think that was a very pivotal set,” Gresh said. “They were down 5-3, and they hadn’t been down in a set in a long time … They just kind of hung in there and broke [serve] and then held, and now it’s 5-all. At 5-all, I felt confident that they would find a way to get it done. I just think they tightened up a lot and were playing very nervous and tight. We spoke on the changeover about committing to a more aggressive style of doubles, to be tough and to find a way to get it done. I gave them a stern talk, not just about tactics but about intensity and mental toughness at that moment.”
Kenerson and Paulsen typically play with Kenerson putting away volleys at the net, and Paulsen on the baseline. They’re also good friends off the court, which is generally a positive.
Generally.
“It can be hard,” Kenerson said. “If one of us is playing really bad, you don’t want to get mad at them. But it’s annoying, you know what I’m saying? Jane sometimes is probably like, ‘Oh God, Reece.’ But when we’re on, we play really well together. We’re a good team.”
Kenerson and Paulsen each received celebratory texts from older siblings after the Sea Kings won CIF. Kenerson’s older sisters, Paige and Brooke, both played in the program, and Brooke was a senior on the 2017 undefeated section and CIF Southern California Regional champion squad.
Paulsen’s older brother, Matt, played for the boys’ program and was part of the 2016 SoCal Regional team. Her father, Eric, was on the 1982 CIF Division 4-A champion CdM boys’ water polo team, while her mother, Cindy, was a cheerleader at CdM.
“My brother and my dad have a banner in the gym, and now I get one too,” Paulsen said.
Kenerson and Paulsen definitely helped this year’s squad raise another banner. Though CdM was not selected for the Open Division, the Sea Kings made the most of their draw in Division 1.
“This year was different than most, but I’d still say it was really fun,” Kenerson said. “Every year is special for a different reason. This year was nice, because there was also no drama with starting lineups or anything.”
Reece Kenerson
Born: Sept. 24, 2002
Hometown: Newport Beach
Height: 5 feet 5
Sport: Tennis
Year: Junior
Coach: Jamie Gresh
Favorite food: Pasta
Favorite movie: “Crazy Rich Asians”
Favorite athletic moment: Winning the Surf League individuals doubles title with partner Jane Paulsen.
Week in review: Kenerson and Paulsen went 9-0 in doubles over the last three playoff matches to help CdM win the CIF Southern Section Division 1 title.
Jane Paulsen
Born: March 30, 2004
Hometown: Newport Beach
Height: 5 feet 7
Sport: Tennis
Year: Sophomore
Coach: Jamie Gresh
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite movie: “A Star Is Born”
Favorite athletic moment: Helping CdM win the CIF title this year.
Week in review: Paulsen and Kenerson went 9-0 in doubles over the last three playoff matches to help CdM win the CIF Southern Section Division 1 title.
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