GIRLS’ TENNIS ROUNDUP : Scott Holds On for Corona del Mar

Corona del Mar’s Alissa Scott could feel her team’s tenuous lead slipping away. Then she looked around and saw that her suspicions were correct.

“I looked down and saw Megan [Wachtler] was losing and I saw the doubles match next to me was losing, and then I was losing,” Scott said. “I decided I had to start getting tough, playing hard and controlling my temper.”

Top-ranked Corona del Mar was fortunate Scott made good on her promises because it wouldn’t have defeated third-ranked Dana Hills without her 6-4 final-set victory over Lara Spica. Wachtler and the Corona del Mar doubles team of Marisol Perea and Ashley Harrington lost their sets, but Corona del Mar won the match, 9-9 (87-81 in games), Tuesday at Dana Hills High.

Scott’s victory was one of eight singles sets the Sea Kings won. In last year’s 10-8 Division I semifinal victory over Dana Hills, Corona del Mar won all nine singles sets.

“We have really good singles players,” Scott said. “All our players [Nina Vaughan, Wachtler and Scott] are ranked [junior players]. It’s really unique to have three ranked players in high school tennis.”

Spica at No. 1 and Summer Tantee at No. 2 also are ranked players for Dana Hills, but they were only able to win one of five sets Tuesday.

“I know Lara can win a couple of sets but she struggled out there [Tuesday],” Dana Hills Coach John Stephens said.

Spica was serving at 4-5 to stay in her set with Scott but she let two points get away at deuce. She had an easy put away at the net, but she hit the ball directly to Scott and wound up losing the point. At set point against her, Spica double-faulted as Scott crept toward the service line.

“I made her double-fault,” Scott said.

Stephens was understandably pleased with his doubles teams, which won eight of nine sets. Freshman Amy Trankino and Brooke Calton swept three sets as did senior Michele Johnson and sophomore Margaux Pierog. Junior Katie Tierney and Shayna Rimel won two of three sets.