Girls’ Tennis: CdM dominates rival

Dozens of fans packed the tennis courts at Corona del Mar High on Thursday afternoon.

Besides the usual parents in attendance, the whole CdM girls’ lacrosse program showed up for the Battle of the Bay girls’ tennis match. Boys’ tennis players also came to support the Sea Kings, as well as football players like Mitchell Haly, Cameron Kormos, Nik Dekeyzer and Dylan Tucker.

CdM senior Jasie Dunk said it took some getting used to the packed house.

“It was almost like an anti-positive thing,” Dunk said. “I mean, it was a good thing we had a crowd, but we’ve never really had a crowd before. We got very nervous and very tense. In the beginning it had negative affects, but obviously the atmosphere was hyped.”

In the end, though, the rivalry match almost seemed like business as usual for the Sea Kings. Corona del Mar beat Newport Harbor, 14-4, to win the Battle of the Bay match for the fifth straight year.

CdM (4-0), ranked No. 3 in CIF Southern Section Division 1, swept its Back Bay rival in singles for the second straight season. Roxy Mackenzie won her three sets, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2, and Kylie Tasu and Shaya Northrup also won twice before being subbed out.

The subs also were victorious, as CdM seniors Sina Schwenk-Mueller and Stephanie Joynt came in to win singles sets in the last round.

“Roxy, Kylie and Shaya played really well today,” CdM Coach Jamie Gresh said. “I think they’re improving, just based on the amount of sets they’re playing and the level. They’re getting tested, and they’re getting a little smarter out there with shot selection and competing better at the critical times.”

Dunk decided to play doubles for her final Battle of the Bay, teaming with Danielle Willson, who was in her second match back from a right shoulder injury. They easily won their two sets before being subbed out. Camellia Edalat and Brooke Kenerson also won twice at No. 1 doubles, while Emily Freyman and Bella McKinney also recorded a win.

CdM had clinched the match with an 11-1 lead after two rounds of play.

Newport Harbor (2-4) finished a tough week, after tying both Aliso Niguel and Mater Dei, 9-9, before losing on game count. But Coach Kristen Case said she planned a tough nonleague schedule for a reason. The Sailors want to repeat as Sunset League champions and are preparing for the league opener Sept. 22 against Marina.

The Sailors freshman doubles team of Lauren Lipkowski and Amra Barton provided a highlight on Thursday, winning two sets at No. 3 doubles.

“They’re doing everything right,” Case said. “They’re so coach-able, and they’re implementing everything that they’re learning from practice and every match. And they practice really well. They approach their practices with just an impeccable mind set, and their mind set is always, ‘We want to get better.’”

The Sailors’ other doubles teams, which are seniors Taryn Anderson and Eva Newsom, as well as juniors Megan Carey and Ally Harano, both won once. Anderson and Newsom were competitive in their opening set against Edalat and Kenerson, going up a break of serve at 3-2 before the CdM duo rallied for a 6-4 victory.

Up next for Corona del Mar is a nonleague showdown at Palos Verdes Peninsula on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. Peninsula is the three-time defending CIF Southern Section Division 1 champion and is again top-ranked in the division in the early season. But the Panthers lost key players like Ena Shibahara, Alana Roth and Sara Khattab to graduation.

“It’s definitely our first big test,” Gresh said. “Obviously, they’re the favorite. I feel like we have to that underdog mentality when we go in there, but I feel like we’re playing good tennis and we’re deep.”