High School Roundup: Laguna continues success in tennis
The top two singles seeds and top two doubles seeds, all from Laguna Beach High, advanced Wednesday from the first day of the two-day Orange Coast League finals tournament.
In singles action at The Tennis Center in Costa Mesa, No. 1 seed Kira Hamilton and second-seeded Ashley Shelton both won two matches in the single-elimination tournament. In doubles play, the No. 1-seeded team of Bailey Jaeger/Natasha Keces, and No. 2-seeded duo of Madeline Loomis/Sarah Nederlander, also won twice.
The Breakers moved on to the semifinals Thursday at The Tennis Center. Results from the semifinal matches, as well as the singles and doubles finals, weren’t available at press time.
“These girls played very well and controlled the matches from the start,” Laguna Coach Don Davis said. “They all were dominant.”
Laguna completed a perfect run through Orange Coast League play Oct. 24 and repeated as league champion when the Breakers defeated host Costa Mesa, 16-2. Hamilton played and won her one set (6-0). Shelton won twice (6-2, 6-2, 6-7, tiebreaker 5-7) at the second singles line, and Ashley Fair swept (6-2, 6-3, 6-0) at No. 3 singles.
The Breakers picked up all nine doubles points as Loomis/Olivia Morrison won (6-2, 6-4, 6-4) at No. 1, Jaeger/Keces (6-1, 6-0) and Iman Berri/Kathleen Kimball (6-1) at No. 2, and the No. 3 team of Stephanie Tat/Malia Helms won 6-2, 6-3, 6-0.
Laguna finished league play with a 10-0 record. The Breakers, ranked third in CIF Southern Section Division 2, are 14-4 overall.
They have won three consecutive league titles under Davis, and lost only 22 of 180 league sets this year.
The Breakers are the league’s No. 1 seed in next week’s CIF Southern Section Division 2 team playoffs, which begin Wednesday. They will learn the identity of their first-round opponent when the playoff pairings are released Monday.
“All the girls have been playing well as late, so I think that we’re very well positioned for our opening [CIF] match,” Davis said. “Equally as important, our No. 1 player, Kira Hamilton, is playing some of her best tennis after struggling with several injuries that have kept her out of the lineup. Her injuries aren’t 100% healed, but she’s managing everything well enough to be back in lineup and in the groove.
“Our No. 2 player, Ashley Shelton, has fully recovered from an early season injury that kept her out of the lineup as well, and she’s playing very well. Bailey Jaeger started the season at No. 3 singles, but injuries sidelined her for nearly a month. Fortunately, she’s back in the lineup, and she’s playing doubles with Natasha Keces.
“Along with the very strong duo of Sarah Nederlander and Madeline Loomis, this gives us two very dominant doubles teams. Yet, I love the depth on our team, and our No. 3 singles player, Ashley Fair, along with our No. 3 doubles team of Stephanie Tat & Malia Helms, gives us strength at every line.”
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Girls’ Volleyball
The Breakers captured their ninth consecutive league title, and first under first-year coach Raul Papaleo, when they defeated visiting Calvary Chapel Tuesday , 26-24, 25-18, 25-21, in Orange Coast League play at Dugger Gym.
In a balanced Laguna attack, Aspen Rocha finished with 22 assists, 20 digs and four kills, Sabrina Stillwell 10 kills and nine digs, Cameron Dorn 13 kills, Francie Holte 17 digs, and Sage Patchell had 10 digs.
The Breakers, the third-ranked team in CIF Southern Section Division 1-A, went to 8-0 in league and 17-9 overall. They have won 78-sraight league matches and won a league championship for the 33rd time in 40 years.
“It’s always a good feeling to win a league championship,” Papaleo said. “It’s my first year, and there was a little bit of pressure, as I knew that this program hasn’t lost a league match in a long, long time. We still have two matches to go so hopefully, we can take care of business.”
Laguna took on Godinez in league play Thursday. The score wasn’t available at press time.
The Breakers complete their league and regular seasons Tuesday when they travel for a 4:30 p.m. game at Costa Mesa.
The CIF Southern Section playoffs start Nov. 9.
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Boys’ Water Polo
The Breakers took another step toward repeating as Orange Coast League champs Wednesday when they knocked off host Godinez, 21-3, at Santa Ana Valley High.
Jack Dodson led the scoring with five goals. Cade Baldridge scored four goals, and Sean Whitlock had three goals.
The win put Laguna, ranked sixth in CIF Southern Section Division 2, at 4-0 in league and 12-9 overall. They close out league play Wednesday at home against Costa Mesa, which is 4-0 in league.
“I thought the guys looked fast, played with great energy and played hungry for four quarters,” Laguna Coach Ethan Damato said of his team’s performance against Godinez. “We really want to be sharp going into this weekend’s Steve Pal Tournament. “
In a key Division 2 nonleague game Oct. 25 at the Laguna pool, the host Breakers defeated ninth-ranked Damien, 13-7. Baldridge and Aki Andersen both scored three goals, and Garrett Hartley had eight saves for the Breakers.
“I was so impressed with the way we came out in the first half,” Damato said. “We were getting good shots on the cage every time down the pool and on the defensive end, we were contesting every pass, every shot and playing great team defense.
“We are playing some great water polo in these past couple weeks. This is a great group of guys and I think they are poised to make a serious run in the [CIF] playoffs.
The Breakers compete this weekend at the Steve Pal Memorial Tournament. The 32-team event will be held at school pools at Santa Margarita, Northwood, Beckman and El Modena. The tournament starts Friday and concludes Saturday.
Laguna is the top seed in Pool C which includes Santa Barbara, Claremont and Pacifica. The Breakers this year own victories over Santa Barbara and Claremont. They open the tournament at 4:10 p.m. Friday against Pacifica at El Modena High.
Other top seeds in the other three pools are Huntington Beach (A), Dos Pueblos (B), and Santa Margarita (D), Ventura (E), Servite (F), Northwood (G), and Righetti (H).
Laguna starts next week with a Monday (4 p.m.) home nonleague match against El Toro.
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CIF Weekly Rankings
Football: Laguna Beach (No. 8, Southern Division).
Girls’ Volleyball: Laguna Beach (No. 3, Division 1A).
Girls’ Tennis: Laguna Beach (No. 3, Division 2).
Girls’ Cross-Country: Laguna Beach (No. 1, Division 4).
Boys’ Cross-Country: Laguna Beach (No. 3, Division 4).
Boys’ Water Polo: Laguna Beach (No. 6, Division 1).