PREP ROUNDUP : Dana Hills Overcomes Absence of Top Player

Dana Hills, the No. 1 tennis team in Orange County, was at a disadvantage Friday in a South Coast League match at San Clemente.

The Dolphins were without their coach and top player. But that didn’t matter as Dana Hills (11-0, 5-0 in league) defeated San Clemente, 11-7.

The Dolphins’ No. 1 singles player, Ben Stevens, watched the match from the sidelines. Stevens, a senior who hasn’t lost a set this year, didn’t play because of a shoulder injury, which Dana Hills Coach John Stephens said was a minor muscle tear.

Stephens was unable to attend the match because he was home with the stomach flu. Art Jenkins, a former Dana Hills head coach who is now an assistant, took over for Stephens.

After the first round Friday, the score was tied, 3-3. Like Dana Hills, San Clemente also was trying to protect its undefeated record.

Dana Hills took a 7-5 lead after two rounds, needing only three sets to win the match. The Dolphins won after George Saba won in singles and the doubles teams of Steen Lundblad and Todd Mueller and Jeremy Driscoll and Brice Martin won.

Dana Hills’ No. 3 doubles team of Brian Chang and Tom Nguyen and No. 2 team of Lundblad and Mueller swept their sets. San Clemente’s David Roditi, a junior, also swept in singles, 6-0, 6-1, 6-0.

Stevens said he regretted missing the opportunity to play Roditi, who played at Dana Hills as a freshman and is one of the top players in the county.

“The big match is always between David Roditi and I,” Stevens said. “It’s just frustrating because I would have liked to play him today and it’s hard knowing all you can do is cheer your team on instead of being out there and getting points for them.”

Jenkins said he was worried in the first round when Driscoll and Martin lost, 4-6, to San Clemente’s No. 2 team of Steve Johnson and Kris Woolley.

“When our No. 1 team lost, that was disheartening,” Jenkins said. “We were probably more afraid at that time than San Clemente knew.”

In other South Coast League tennis:

Mission Viejo 13, Capistrano Valley 5--Billy Casas won in singles, 6-3, 6-0, 6-3, and the doubles teams of Vince Cheng and Sean Faden (6-4, 6-1, 6-3) and Todd Blum and Greg Hall (6-3, 6-1, 6-3) each won for host Mission Viejo (7-6, 3-2).

In Angelus League tennis:

Santa Margarita 11, Loyola 7--Jason Scanlon won his singles sets, 6-1, 6-1, 6-0, for host Santa Margarita (8-4, 4-1), which moved into a first-place tie with Loyola.

In Empire League tennis:

Esperanza 14, Katella 4--In singles, Mike Hammer (6-0, 6-0, 6-3) and Dan Harris (6-0, 7-5, 6-0) each swept for visiting Esperanza (14-0, 5-0).

In Orange League boy’s tennis:

Western 16, Anaheim 2--James Yu swept at love for Western (9-3, 4-0).

Valencia 16, Magnolia 2--Robert Bae and Huey Dang swept in doubles, 6-1, 6-0, 6-1, for visiting Valencia (9-3, 4-0).

Brea-Olinda 11, Savanna 7--In doubles, Brian Lee and Brian Chanawater swept, 7-6, 6-1, 6-0, for host Brea-Olinda. Todd Merryman swept, 7-6, 6-0, 6-1, for Savanna.

In Sea View League boys’ tennis:

University 16, Newport Harbor 2--Jason Meyers swept, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4, for host University (14-1, 7-0).

Woodbridge 9, Corona del Mar 9 (Woodbridge wins on games, 86-76)--Darren Isaacman won two of his three sets, 6-2, 6-2, 2-6 and Steve Shevel and Brian Lynn (6-3, 6-1, 4-6) and Kevin Hill and Brian Haden (6-3, 6-4, 3-6) won two of their three doubles sets for host Woodbridge.

In Sea View League softball:

Saddleback 7, Tustin 6--Saddleback scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, and won when Desi Abrego scored on a wild pitch. Saddleback (9-6, 2-0) had taken a 4-2 lead in the sixth on a three-run home run by Lily Munoz, but Tustin scored four runs, three of them unearned in the top of the seventh.

In South Coast League softball:

Capistrano Valley 12, Dana Hills 1--Kim McKay had three hits and two RBIs and Daniela Hugelshofer (3-3) had two hits including a home run. She pitched a no-hitter through six innings, ending up with a one-hitter for visiting Capistrano Valley (7-4, 2-0).

In nonleague softball:

Villa Park 7, Sonora 4--Jen Raworth had two hits and scored twice, Amy Lewis hit a two-run triple and Jamie Franco had two hits and scored two runs for host Villa Park. Jenny Boroughs pitched a three-hitter in her first varsity game for Villa Park.