Sea Kings Single Out Warriors

Corona del Mar Coach Tim Mang made the statement before the season that his lineup of singles players was one of the best this area has seen in a long time.

Nina and Nadia Vaughan and Caylan Leslie backed up their coach’s assessment by winning eight of nine sets Thursday to carry top-ranked Corona del Mar to a 11-7 victory over third-ranked Woodbridge in a Sea View League girls’ tennis match for first place.

“There was a lot of talk about our singles players, but we had to prove it,” said Nadia Vaughan, who won her sets, 6-3, 6-1, 6-0. “This was a good chance to prove we are what we say.”

The Sea Kings’ only singles loss came against Woodbridge freshman Susanna Lingman, who defeated Nina Vaughan, 6-4. Lingman led Leslie and Nadia Vaughan before eventually falling.

“We didn’t expect [Lingman] to play that well,” Nadia Vaughan said. “She didn’t play like a freshman.”

Leslie, who often works out with Lingman, said she knew what to expect.

“It felt like a practice match,” said Leslie, who beat Lingman, 6-3, after trailing 2-0. “She’s so much fun to play. It’s a friendly competition we have.”

Leslie’s victory might have been the key to the match. Had she lost, her team would have been tied at 6-6 entering the final round. But the 7-5 advantage gave Corona del Mar breathing room and took some pressure off the Sea Kings’ three doubles teams, which dropped four of their first six sets.

Corona del Mar (10-0, 3-0) has now beaten the second-, third- and fourth-ranked teams in the county, Dana Hills, Woodbridge and Villa Park, and Palos Verdes Peninsula, ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section Division I poll. Woodbridge (6-3, 2-1) is the defending Sea View League champion.