CdM sweeps in doubles, gets past Beckman

Corona del Mar High senior Brooke Kenerson played at No. 1 doubles last year for the CdM girls’ tennis team with graduate Camelia Edalat.

This year, Kenerson has settled in at the No. 3 doubles spot with Bella McKinney, a junior.

Kenerson doesn’t see the drop as a demotion. In truth, she’s happy to just be in the starting lineup after CdM got much deeper with the additions of transfers Annika Bassey, Paulina Loredo and Kristina Evloeva.

“I’m OK with playing [No.] 3, because we have a really strong team,” Kenerson said. “Just to be a part of it is really fun and means a lot. Just starting at all is an accomplishment to me. I’m not upset about [going from No. 1 to 3], because it’s more about the team than me. If I have to play 3 — if I get to play 3 — that’s OK.”

Even without one of the heralded transfers, CdM was able to take down Beckman, 15-3, in both teams’ Pacific Coast League opener Wednesday at CdM.

Bassey, a senior, is on the East Coast visiting colleges. The Sea Kings (9-0), ranked No. 2 in CIF Southern Section Division 1, still had more than enough to beat Beckman (8-1), which is ranked No. 1 in Division 2.

Corona del Mar swept in doubles. Shaya Northrup and Loredo won, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 doubles. Senior Emily Freyman and freshman Lauren Friedman swept, 6-3, 6-0, 6-0, at No. 2 doubles while Kenerson and McKinney also swept, 6-1, 6-3, 6-1, at No. 3 doubles.

McKinney is still undefeated this season in doubles. And more than that, she is excited to be on the court for such a talented team. Last year CdM was successful, earning the No. 1 ranking in Division 1 for much of the year and advancing to the semifinals. But this year the level is just higher.

“It’s 10 times more fun and more intense,” said McKinney, a three-year varsity starter. “I feel like everyone wants to be out there playing and everyone wants to win, because we have the talent to do that. When I get called to play No. 3 doubles, I’m stoked. I’m not mad at all. It’s a team effort.”

Senior Danielle Willson swept in singles, 6-2, 6-2, 6-0, for CdM. Her 6-2 win over Beckman senior Ashley Teng in the second round was impressive. Teng had beaten Evloeva by the same score in the first round, when Christelle Haj earned a 6-4 win over CdM junior Roxy MacKenzie, who won once before being subbed out.

The Patriots threatened to tie the score after the first round, but Northrup and Loredo rallied from 5-3 down for a tiebreaker win over Beckman’s Kayla Cruz and Emily Lu at No. 1 doubles. That gave CdM a 4-2 advantage.

The Sea Kings then swept the second round, winning all six sets to clinch the match. Evloeva ended up with two singles wins for CdM.

“I think [the slow start] kind of helped us get more prepared for the next round, more ready to fight,” Freyman said.

CdM finally got a league match in. The Sea Kings were supposed to open league at rival University on Tuesday, but the match was postponed due to concerns of poor air quality due to the Canyon fire in Corona.

“I was sad,” McKinney said. “I was here already in my uniform and stuff ready to go, and then [CdM coach] Jamie [Gresh] texted us. I think we were all pumped up to play them [Tuesday].”

That match will be rescheduled for a to-be-determined date. It’s a key one as CdM goes for its third straight league title. University is ranked No. 5 in Division 1.

In the meantime, though, the Sea Kings don’t expect to get complacent. There’s too much talent and drive on the team for that. And the returning players are tired of losing in the Division 1 semifinals for four straight years. The toughest loss was last year, by games to Harvard-Westlake at home.

“Knowing that last year we got to semifinals, it just makes us that much more wanting to be out here on the court,” McKinney said. “We want to get to the CIF finals. We want to do it. We want to win. Last year was a heartbreak.”

CdM continues league play with a home match against Northwood on Thursday.

matthew.szabo@latimes.com

Twitter: @mjszabo