Girls’ Tennis Preview: Eagles have doubles depth

Rachel de los Santos thought she was done coaching tennis at Estancia High.

De los Santos gave up the girls’ head coaching position in 2014, after 14 years leading the Eagles. But Kendra Fisher resigned after one season in charge, and the position sat vacant for most of this summer.

“We had someone who we were very optimistic about, and she fell through,” said de los Santos, a science teacher at Estancia. “It kind of came down to the wire, and they still hadn’t found anybody. I think our athletic director [Nate Goellrich] was concerned that he was going to have to coach the girls if they didn’t find somebody.”

De los Santos called up former Estancia boys’ tennis varsity head coach and girls’ tennis JV coach Jay Gardner. He said he would coach the girls this year if de los Santos would be his assistant coach.

It’s not only a familiar coaching staff, but a somewhat familiar team for the Eagles in 2016. De los Santos said there are six returning starters from last year’s squad, which finished second in the Orange Coast League to advance to the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs. Seniors Delani Guyot, Julie Makley, Meg Tuxford, Lauren Weisser and Sarah Mack are all back, as is junior Annie Mitchell.

The Eagles moved down a division, to Division 3. Most of their returners are in doubles, so they will have to figure out how to replace singles graduates Kinley Ohland and Eden Steel. Ohland spent four years at No. 1 singles for Estancia.

Estancia Girls’ Tennis

League: Orange Coast

CIF Division: 3

Head Coach: Jay Gardner (1st year)

Coaching Staff: Rachel de los Santos (assistant coach), Taylor Tuxford (JV coach)

2015 overall record: 14-5

2015 league record: 8-2 (2nd place)

2015 CIF results: Reached first round

Returning starters: Six

Returning with honors: none

Coach’s Take: “I think as always, Laguna Beach will be the strongest team [in the Orange Coast League],” de los Santos said. “I think we’ll be a little weaker than we were last year, so it it will be as usual, that competition for second with Calvary Chapel and Costa Mesa and us. But I think Godinez will be in there this year as well. Besides Laguna, it will be very competitive for those second and third spots.”

One to Watch: “Annie Mitchell played a lot of singles for us last season and really started to progress and improve,” de los Santos said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she was our No. 1 singles player this year. I think we’ll see a lot out of her this year.”

Schedule

August

31 - at Oxford Academy

September

1 - at Westminster

6 - at Bolsa Grande

7 - at Foothill

8 - Orange

12 - at Segerstrom

13 - La Quinta

14 - Ocean View

15 - Magnolia

20 - at Costa Mesa*

22 - vs Calvary Chapel* at Costa Mesa Tennis Center

27 - Saddleback*

29 - vs. Godinez* at Santa Ana Valley

October

4 - Laguna Beach*

6 - Costa Mesa*

11 - Calvary Chapel*

13 - at Saddleback*

18 - Godinez*

20 - at Laguna Beach*

*denotes league match

All matches 3 p.m.