Woodbridge’s Exon Finally Able to Defeat Vaughan

Woodbridge senior Natalie Exon had qualified for the Southern Section individual singles tournament earlier with a semifinal victory over teammate Adriana Hockicko. But Exon’s Sea View League finals match against Corona del Mar Nina Vaughan was hardly trivial to her.

Beaten by Vaughan the last two years in the Sea View League tournament and twice this season in dual matches, Exon had revenge on her mind. Vaughan admitted she had other things on her mind.

No surprise that the more motivated and focused player won. Exon played her typical steady game from the baseline and won, 6-3, 6-4, to take her first Sea View League singles title.

“It wasn’t like I’d have been devastated if I hadn’t won, but I thought it’d be nice to win once,” Exon said.

Exon said it was also nice to finally beat Vaughan, a junior.

“I’m the senior, I don’t have another chance,” Exon said. “She’ll have another chance.”

Actually, Vaughan had her chance last year when she beat Exon in the final. But this year, Vaughan acknowledged Exon was the sharper player.

“We have a little bit of rivalry going on,” Vaughan said. “She went out there and was really into it early. She took me by surprise.”

Exon was not dynamic, but then she never is. But she did run everything down, hit winners from the forehand side when she had Vaughan out of court and she made few unforced errors.

“I have to be steady,” Exon said. “I can’t be a head case out there.”

Vaughan had a mini rally at the end of the second set when she came back from 5-2 to close to 5-4. But her comeback came too late.

“At 5-2, I decided I wanted to play,” she said. “But I had dug myself too big of a hole.”

Vaughan’s sister, Nadia, was more fortunate. She won the league doubles tournament with her partner, Caylan Leslie. The two freshmen from Corona del Mar defeated Woodbridge’s team of Danielle Hustedt and Michelle Stiefel, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1.