PREP ROUNDUP : Santa Margarita Defeats Mater Dei in Tennis

Enjoying an overwhelming advantage in singles, Santa Margarita made easy work of Mater Dei, 12-6, in a nonleague girls’ tennis match Monday at the Costa Mesa Tennis Club.

Santa Margarita (9-2) won eight of the nine singles sets to nullify a 5-4 edge by Mater Dei (5-3) in doubles.

The Eagles, who split their two matches with Mater Dei last season when both teams were in the now-defunct Angelus League, got another exceptional performance from their No. 1 singles, Sandy Needham.

Needham won her three sets, 6-0, 6-0 and 6-4 to improve to 30-3. Only Mater Dei’s Sara Jarrett, playing No. 1 singles for the Monarchs in place of Erika Asmuss, managed to give Needham a serious challenge.

Needham, a Santa Margarita senior, jumped to a 3-1 lead but had to hold off a comeback by Jarrett. Needham won the set with some wicked passing shots and good work at the net in the final game.

“I just needed to put the game away at the net,” Needham said. “It definitely was a tough set.”

Asmuss, Mater Dei’s top singles player, teamed with Julie Lighthipe to give the Monarchs three doubles victories. Mater Dei Coach Sharon Kennedy said Asmuss has been fighting a stomach virus and was not feeling well enough for singles competition.

Santa Margarita also received good efforts from No. 2 singles player Tracy Keyser, who won 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 and No. 3 singles player Danielle Shedd, who lost to Jarrett, 4-6, but won her other two sets, 6-0, 6-0.

In other nonleague matches:

Laguna Beach 11, Newport Habor 7--Ashley Smith and Tara Kuhnert won, 6-3, 6-1, 6-1, at No. 1 doubles as visiting Laguna Beach (8-1) won eight of nine sets in doubles to beat Newport Harbor (8-2).

Western 11, Pacifica 7--Lisa Cunningham and Brenda Gravell swept at No. 1 doubles, 6-2, 6-0, 6-1, for host Western (8-2).

In nonleague water polo:

Costa Mesa 14, Los Amigos 8--Sam Grayeli scored seven goals and J.R. Porter had four for host Costa Mesa (10-7).

El Modena 8, Mater Dei 7--Gary Geiger had seven of his 12 saves in the first quarter and Steve Taylor scored three goals for host El Modena (12-4). Ted Broyles had two goals for Mater Dei (0-1).