Eagles rally over Mesa

Estancia High girls’ tennis coach Kendra Fisher, who loves to stay active, is an early riser.

Fisher likes a quick start to her day, but this year’s Eagles don’t always follow through with quick starts to their matches.

So, with Estancia trailing 4-2 after the first round at rival Costa Mesa on Thursday and missing a doubles starter, there was cause for concern.

“I told the girls to focus on each game,” Fisher said. “I really thought it was going to be a tie.”

But, for the second straight Orange Coast League match against the Mustangs, the Eagles finished strong.

Estancia ended up with the win in the league finale, 12-6, capturing the second Battle for the Bell match by the same score as the first. The Eagles (14-5, 8-2 in league) are the second-place team in league, the first time since 2008 that they’ve finished in outright second place. Fisher was a junior on that team.

Senior co-captains Kinley Ohland and Eden Steel each swept in singles for Estancia on Thursday. Ohland earned her second straight “triple bagel” against Mesa with scores of 6-0, 6-0, 6-0.

“I just think that our team struggles with the first round in general,” Fisher said. “[But] our team is good at building momentum and picking each other up. Julie [Makley] and Delani [Guyot] started having fun [at No. 1 doubles]. The first set, I think they were a little nervous and stressed out. Our team, when they’re having fun and pumping each other up but still being respectful, that’s when they’re playing their best.”

Costa Mesa (10-9, 4-6) finished fourth in league. Coach Brian Ricker said he plans to apply for an at-large berth to the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs, since the Mustangs’ overall record is over .500.

Mesa earned the 4-2 lead after the first round by sweeping in doubles, as well as senior Kris Araracap’s 6-2 victory at No. 3 singles. But the Eagles came back strong, winning each of the last two rounds by a score of 5-1.

Steel, who had lost to Araracap in a tiebreaker in the teams’ first meeting, defeated her, 6-3, in the second round this time.

“I’ve never felt like I played that well before,” said Steel, who won her three sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-0. “I think that was the smartest tennis I’ve ever played before. I think I kind of adjusted to her playing.”

Karina Catalano won twice at No. 3 singles for Estancia, which captured eight of nine singles sets. Makley and Guyot won twice at No. 1 doubles, while the teams of Lauren Weisser and Annie Mitchell, as well as Hannah Swift and Sarah Mack, each won once.

Fisher had to shuffle things around a bit as usual doubles starter Meg Tuxford was gone on a school field trip.

“It’s so exciting,” said Ohland, a four-year starter at No. 1 singles, of the second-place finish in league behind champion Laguna Beach. “We’ve never done that before. I’m glad we’re doing it this year ... To be honest, I didn’t really think that we were going to do that well this season. But we did, and I’m super-happy about it.”

Seniors Caitlin Wase and Sylvia Catania swept at No. 1 doubles for Costa Mesa, improving to 22-1 on the season. Dilara Ozonur and Crystal Henriquez, as well as Gianna Valdez and Princess Castellano, each won one set in doubles on the Mustangs’ senior day.

Costa Mesa, regardless if it makes the CIF playoffs, can feel proud of its season after a 3-10 overall finish last year.

“It’s a huge transformation from last year’s team to this year’s team,” Catania said. “There’s a lot more effort, dedication. I’m really proud to say that this was our senior year.”

Both Estancia and Costa Mesa will compete in the Orange Coast League individual tournament, which runs Wednesday and Thursday at Costa Mesa Tennis Center. Ohland appears to have a good chance of finishing top-two in league in singles, which would qualify her for CIF Individuals for the first time.

Whatever happens, though, the Eagles are fired up headed into the postseason.

“I’m so happy,” Fisher said. “I’m just ecstatic. I just love this team so much. I knew that we were going to be a solid team coming in, but every practice, every match, they are constantly asking [assistant coach] Cindi [Flynn] and I what they can work on. I think it’s cool that they ask us for feedback constantly. The girls really do take instruction well, and I think that we all have a really good relationship.”