Newport knocks off Knights

Bryce Alderton

A more determined, relaxed and successful Newport Harbor High girls

tennis team showed up for a Sea View League showdown with Foothill,

which came into Tuesday’s match at Harbor undefeated.

The Knights are undefeated no more after the Sailors surged to a

12-6 victory, claiming 11 of the first 14 sets to put the match out

of reach with three doubles matches still playing out.

“I am pumped and excited because we were not expected to win,”

Newport senior Vanessa Dunlap said after taking two of three sets at

No. 2 singles. “I think Foothill was supposed to beat Woodbridge. We

practiced longer and harder gearing up for [Tuesday’s] match and were

prepared for any lineup they threw out there.”

Senior Diana Khoury lost just two games to sweep at No. 3 singles

for the Sailors (4-3, 1-1 in league), ranked No. 10 in CIF Southern

Section Division I, who lost to host Woodbridge, 10-8, Thursday, but

came out with a new attitude and demeanor Tuesday against the Knights

(8-1, 1-1). The Warriors are ranked ninth in CIF Division I.

“We mixed up the lineup a bit, which made the girls more relaxed,”

Newport Coach Fletcher Olson said. “The subtle changes made the girls

confident going in. They believed they could win and they did.”

Olson moved Dunlap from No. 1 to No. 2 singles, along with pairing

senior Bonnie Adams, who normally plays singles, with sophomore

sister, Carly Adams, for Newport’s first doubles team.

The duo took one set together to go with two wins apiece for

Newport’s doubles teams of A.J. Olson and Megan McKay and the

freshman tandem of Chrissy Schwartz and Sasha Dunlap, Vanessa’s

younger sister.

Newport sophomore Brittanny Sturgess took two of three sets at No.

1 singles. Tuesday’s match was the third time this season Sturgess

has played singles. Carolyn Hustedt paired with Carly Adams for one

set.

Foothill also switched their lineup, but to no avail.

Coach Kerry Livingston moved senior Arianna Fahrney, nursing a hip

flexor, to doubles with partner Alaine Anderson while inserting Becky

Duesler, his usual No. 1 singles player, in the third spot. Duesler

won the only two singles sets for Foothill as Livingston used three

different players in the No. 1 spot.

“Newport came out fired up today,” Livingston said. “Their volleys

were just outstanding. The play at the net killed us.” Foothill was

also without Katelyn Finley, one of its singles players, because of

an illness.

Newport, which finished second in league behind undefeated

Woodbridge last year, beat Foothill twice last fall, the second match

on games, 77-66.

“We really want to win league this year,” Bonnie Adams said.

“Coach Olson told us to just go out, play and not be scared

[Tuesday].”

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Sea View League

Newport 12, Foothill 6

Singles -- Sturgess (NH) def. Lee, 6-0, def. Colgrove, 6-0, lost to Duesler, 1-6; V. Dunlap (NH) def. (sub) Fischer, 6-1, won, 6-1, lost, 3-6; Khoury, def. (sub) Tracy, 6-0, won, 6-0, 6-2.

Doubles -- B. Adams-C. Adams (NH) lost to Fahrney-Anderson, 2-6, (sub) Hustedt-C. Adams lost to Moeser-Wilcox, 4-6, def. Harris-Gorbett, 6-4; Olson-McKay (NH) won, 6-3, lost, 3-6, won, 7-6 (11-9); S. Dunlap-Schwartz (NH) lost, 4-6, won, 6-1, 6-2.

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