No rain on Eagles’ reign

Chris Yemma

Not even the threat of rain could stop the Estancia High girls tennis

team from taking a second consecutive victory over visiting crosstown

rival Costa Mesa in a Golden West League match Thursday.

The Eagles won, 11-7, but both Estancia Coach Rachel de los Santos

and Mesa Coach Sean Lance agreed that if it started raining, and one

of the teams had already won 10 games, the match would end.

It didn’t rain at Estancia (11-4, 10-1 in league), but the victory

does complete the reign of the Eagles over the Mustangs (8-4, 8-7) in

matches this season, along with a share of first place in the Golden

West League with Westminster.

“We were very concerned about rain today,” said de los Santos, who

is in her fourth year coaching Estancia tennis. “We were supposed to

play Saddleback last week, but that got rained out and now we have to

play them Thursday.”

Estancia junior Heather Morton led the Eagles to their 10th league

victory, sweeping her sets 6-4, 7-6, 6-3. Singles players Sara

Stratten and Yvonne Zaidler both had two games apiece and doubles

teammates Sarah Muradian and Elizabeth Armstrong also picked up two

games.

Before the match, both coaches had predicted a close one, but

Mesa’s Lance said he was a little worried about his younger players.

“Last year we had a lot of newcomers, so the team was really

young,” he said. “This year, Estancia-Costa Mesa has been intense,

but Estancia has been the strongest in the league.

“It’s very emotional for all of our first-time players.”

None of Lance’s singles players are seniors, with freshman Lindsay

Levanas, sophomore Jasmine Mathieson and junior Evelyn Wallace in the

starting positions. His doubles players -- seniors Leah Le, Maria

Garcia, Uyen Le, Anh Le, and juniors Hong-An Nguyen and Gwendolyne

Martinez -- give the team experience.

Lance said he considers his doubles players the strongest part of

the team. And before Tuesday’s match, all three doubles teams had

swept their games in the three previous matches, he said.

“We don’t have superstars -- we’re building the team from the

ground up,” Lance said. “And Wallace is our only tournament player.”

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Golden West League

Estancia 11, Costa Mesa 7 Singles -- Stratton (E) def. Levanas, 6-1, def. Mathieson, 6-0, lost to Wallace, 6-4; Zaidler (E) won, 6-1, 6-2, lost, 6-0; Morton (E) won, 6-4, 7-6, 6-3.

Doubles -- O’Toole-Pittman (E) def. Martinez-A. Le, 6-0, lost to L.Le-Nguyen, 6-4, lost to Garcia-U. Le, 7-5; Muradian-Armstrong (E) won, 6-1, 6-4, lost, 6-1; Miller-Kulczyk (E) lost, 6-0; sub Simmons-Kirchberg (E) lost, 6-1, won, 6-3.

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