Daily Pilot Girls’ Tennis Dream Team: Willson wouldn’t back down
Corona del Mar High junior Danielle Willson spent the most time on court out of every member of the girls’ tennis team.
Those practices are often private, not with her teammates. Yes, tennis can be an individual sport, and Willson isn’t the most vocal person. It would be easy for her to come off as elitist toward her teammates.
But nothing would be further from the truth this year. The Sea Kings’ camaraderie was great, and Willson was a big reason why.
CdM Coach Jamie Gresh instituted a “no cell phones during matches” policy. Every member of the team was focused on the task at hand, and rooting for her teammates. Often, that was Willson, who got engaged in some absolute wars with some of the other best players in Southern California.
But it wasn’t her playing for herself, it was her playing for her team.
“It’s really hard if you’re not fitting in as well,” Willson said. “People at this school are very critical, to be honest. It’s hard to fit in. I think [I was] just taking everyone as themselves. I mean, we’re not out here to [just] be girls. We’re out here to be tennis girls. We’re out here to play tennis and compete, and everyone needs a friend to do well. For me, I tried to make a big effort this year to try to include everyone. That was one of my main goals this year.
“We had a closer team this year, because everyone made an effort to be friends, to talk to each other and get to know each other. Last year, and in the past, that’s not been the case because of all these cliques. But I think Jamie’s made a point to keep this tennis. You’re not going to get better if you’re just worried about who you’re friends with, who you’re talking to and taking pictures with. I don’t think that’s what we should be focused on.”
For Willson, focus on the way she shrugged off an early-season shoulder injury, earning a very impressive 41-3 record this season for CdM. Focus on the fact that she helped the Sea Kings earn the top ranking in CIF Southern Section Division 1 for much of the season, advancing to the Division 1 semifinals for the fourth straight year before a very tough 9-9 (77-73 on games) loss to Harvard-Westlake.
Willson is the 2016 Daily Pilot Dream Team Player of the Year.
Of course, CdM senior Jasie Dunk was there right by her side the whole way. Dunk had a 40-3 record and actually saved three match points to beat Willson for the Pacific Coast League singles championship, 8-7. But Willson earns the slight nod here for her impressive run in the CIF Southern Section Individuals tournament, where she advanced to the quarterfinals after upsetting No. 4-seeded Emilee Duong of Valencia in a three-hour round of 16 match.
The quarterfinals represented a round better than last year’s CIF Individuals round of 16 showing. It’s that kind of improvement that could be expected all season from Willson.
“I think she got a lot more mentally tough, which was evident in some closer sets that she was able to pull through,” Gresh said. “I think she got a little bit more vocal and outspoken on the court, in the right way. That helped her game, in the sense that she was fired up when she needed to be, but also calm and composed when she had to be. She had a really good temperament in the close matches.
“Danielle is not your loudest girl, but she’s focused and determined. Her teammates know that. That’s just how she’s wired. Her teammates always knew that they could count on her. Danielle gives respect to all of her teammates, but she also gets respect as being one of the top girls on the team. That’s huge.”
One of those close sets was a signature win against Harvard-bound Harvard-Westlake senior Jenna Moustafa in the CIF semifinal match. Willson saved two set points to earn a 7-6 (7-2) victory, helping CdM earn a 7-5 sets advantage after two rounds.
Moustafa went on to be a singles finalist in the CIF Individuals.
“That [win] really showed me how I can play,” Willson said. “That gave me a lot of confidence. I fought off her grinding [style] and I just grinded back until she missed. Obviously, she was going to be in every single point, so there’s no point in wasting my energy in trying to go for a winner. I think making her move and being more patient with the ball allowed me to have an opportunity to win that match.”
Willson hopes to continue to improve for her senior season. She said CdM can again be great next year, with some freshmen coming in and another year of experience for current sophomores like Roxy MacKenzie, Shaya Northrup and Bella McKinney.
“All of those girls try so hard,” Willson said. “I think it’s going to be just as competitive. I’m really excited to see what we can do next year with all of the depth on our team.”
That depth starts at the top, with the girl who’s not above the team at all.
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Here’s a look at the other nine players (three singles players and three doubles teams) and the Coach of the Year on this year’s Daily Pilot Dream Team:
COACH OF THE YEAR
Cierra Gaytan
Sage Hill
Gaytan, a key member of the CdM CIF championship team of 2006, excelled in her first year of coaching high school tennis. As a young coach with a lot of energy she was able to make a special connection with the Lightning, who were a bit nervous after being moved up to CIF Southern Section Division 1. Sage Hill went 14-1 in the regular season, only losing to CdM, and made its second straight undefeated run through Academy League play. Gaytan also credited her assistant coaches, including her longtime friend Brynn Boren, who starred at Dana Hills High and USC, as well as Whit Kenerson.
“Not only did the girls improve a lot, but they formed a bond that was really special with each other,” Gaytan said. “Everyone was just constantly in everyone’s corner, and I think that makes a really great team, considering tennis is an individual sport.”
SINGLES
Jasie Dunk
Corona del Mar | Sr.
The four-year varsity player for the Sea Kings ended her high school career in style. Dunk, bound for Cal, won the Pacific Coast League singles title and advanced to the round of 16 at CIF Individuals. She finished the season with a 40-3 singles record, and continued to progress after just starting to play USTA tournaments about two years ago.
Hanh Pham
Fountain Valley | Jr.
Pham was the class of the Sunset League for the third straight year, wrapping up her third consecutive league singles title after earning a 30-0 record in the Barons’ 10 league matches. Overall for the season, she was 58-5, including a tiebreaker victory over Wilson as Coach Harshul Patel’s Barons lost to CdM in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs. Pham advanced to the third round of CIF Individuals. Fountain Valley finished second to Los Alamitos in league, narrowly missing its first league title since 1991, and that can be a goal for Pham as she returns for her senior year.
Roxy MacKenzie
Corona del Mar | Soph.
MacKenzie showed much improvement for the Sea Kings this year, sliding into a starting spot at No. 3 singles. She finished the season 39-13, impressive given CdM’s very tough schedule. MacKenzie earned key wins against players like the Alajeely sisters of rival University, as well as Courtney Swift of Dana Hills. She and fellow sophomore Shaya Northrup teamed to finish third in the Pacific Coast League tournament in doubles. Look for MacKenzie, who has Gaytan as her private coach, to continue to make strides heading into her junior year.
DOUBLES
Camellia Edalat and Brooke Kenerson
Corona del Mar | Sr. and Jr.
Edalat and Kenerson had an effective strategy, with Edalat on the baseline and Kenerson usually at the net. It worked for CdM, as they finished with a 50-5 record while playing No. 1 doubles all season for the Sea Kings. Edalat, who had finished third at league finals the previous two years, broke through with Kenerson as a senior to be a PCL finalist, then they advanced all the way to the round of 16. Both players were warm and welcoming and also contributed to CdM’s good camaraderie.
Clarissa Htay and Katie Ho
Fountain Valley | Seniors
Ho played at No. 2 singles for most of the season for the Barons, out of necessity, while Htay teamed at No. 1 doubles with Vikki Nguyen. But come the postseason, Htay and Ho were partners. They delivered Fountain Valley’s first doubles league title in two decades and they advanced to the third round of CIF Individuals before losing in a third-set tiebreaker to a team from Dana Hills. Overall, Htay and Ho were backbones of a big season for Fountain Valley and ended their prep careers with a bang.
Nicole Condas and Michelle Hung
Sage Hill | Jr. and Soph.
Condas and Hung did not start off the season playing doubles together for Sage Hill, but they certainly performed once paired together. They finished the season with a 26-3 record and were Academy League doubles finalists. They advanced to the third round of CIF Individuals, the second straight year doing so for Hung as she also did it last year with teammate Izzy Deckey. Condas and Hung will be key pieces next year for a Sage Hill team that projects to return its entire starting lineup in 2017.
