Breakers have experience

A blend of the young and experienced, along with player transitions and a formidable schedule, will make for an interesting season for the 2010 Laguna Beach High girls’ tennis team.

The Breakers begin the fall season with seven starters back from a 2009 team that went 15-9 overall, went undefeated (8-0) in Orange Coast League play en route to their fourth-consecutive league crown — they haven’t lost a league match in five years — and reached the round of 16 of the CIF Division I playoffs.

Gone from that team are league Most Valuable Player and singles champ Madeline Jaeger and all-league doubles players Alison Azera and McKenna Nokes. With the return of seven starters and the addition of two new players to the varsity squad, Laguna, once again, figures to be a force on the court.

“We have a mix of older and younger players,” second-year head coach Alec Horton said. “Our experienced tournament players and seniors will have to lead the team by example.”

Among the returners are three seniors, singles players Bianca Sganga (No. 3) and Haley Moss (No. 4), and doubles player Lia Berger. The other returning singles players are sophomore Taylor Nederlander (No. 1) and junior Claire Jaeger (No. 2), and junior doubles players Kate McMahon and Aislin Elkin.

Rounding out the varsity are freshmen Sara Nederlander and senior transfer Parker Poche, both doubles players who are new to the squad.

Taylor Nederlander, Sganga, Jaeger and Moss, all were all-league players last year.

“We have doubles players transitioning to singles, and young freshman stepping into roles of varsity tennis, so it should be exciting,” Horton said. “ We have a very strong No. 1 singles player (Taylor Nederlander) and we have very experienced doubles players, but some of our experienced doubles players will have to transition to singles this year, so it will definitely challenge them this year.

The Breakers scrimmage at Corona del Mar on Sept. 7, then opening their regular-season schedule Sept. 9 at Newport Harbor. The slate, once again, is loaded. Games against the Sea Kings, Sailors, Dana Hills, Mater Dei, Santa Margarita and Sage Hill, as well as tournament games at the Dana Hills Tennis Coastal Challenge (formerly the All-American Tournament), will test Laguna.

That schedule, however, should prepare the Breakers for a serious run toward a fifth-straight Orange Coast League championship.

2010 Girls’ Tennis Schedule

Sept. 7 (scrimmage, 3:15 p.m.): Varsity: at Corona del Mar; JV: vs. Corona del Mar

Sept. 9 (3:15 p.m.): Varsity: at Newport Harbor; JV: vs. Newport Harbor

Sept. 14 (3 p.m.): Varsity: vs. Dana Hills; JV: at Dana Hills

Sept. 17 (3 p.m.): Varsity: vs. Sage Hill; JV: at Sage Hill

Sept. 21 (3 p.m.): Varsity: at El Toro: JV: vs. El Toro

Sept. 23 (3 p.m.): Varsity: at University; JV: vs. University

Sept. 28 (3 p.m.): Varsity: at *Estancia; JV: vs. *Estancia

Sept. 29 (3 p.m.): Varsity: vs. Mater Dei (at Los Caballeros); JV: at Mater Dei

Sept. 30 (3 p.m.): Varsity: vs. *Calvary Chapel; JV: at *Calvary Chapel

Oct. 5 (3 p.m.): Varsity: vs. *Godinez; JV: at *Godinez

Oct. 6 (3:15 p.m.): Varsity: at Santa Margarita: JV: vs. Santa Margarita

Oct. 7 (3 p.m.): Varsity: at *Costa Mesa; JV: at *Costa Mesa

Oct. 12 (3 p.m.): Varsity: vs. *Saddleback: JV: at Saddleback

Oct. 14 (3 p.m.): Varsity: vs. *Estancia; JV: vs. *Estancia

Oct. 15-16 (10 a.m.): Varsity: at Dana Hills Coastal Challenge

Oct. 19 (3 p.m.): Varsity: at *Calvary Chapel; JV: vs. *Calvary Chapel

Oct. 21 (3 p.m.): Varsity: at *Godinez; JV: at *Godinez

Oct. 26 (3 p.m.): Varsity: vs. *Costa Mesa; JV: at *Costa Mesa

Oct. 27 (3 p.m.): Varsity: vs. Corona del Mar; JV: at Corona del Mar

Oct. 28 (3 p.m.): Varsity: at *Saddleback; JV: vs. *Saddleback

Nov. 2 (3 p.m.): Varsity: vs. Chadwick (at Peninsula Raquet Club); JV: at Chadwick

Nov. 3: Orange Coast League prelims

Nov. 4: Orange Coast League finals

Nov. 9-18: CIF playoffs

Nov. 19: CIF Individual Sectionals