Monarchs, Warriors Like Their Chances Better in Division II

The chance to play Palos Verdes Peninsula for the Southern Section Division I title was an enticing thought for defending Division II champion Mater Dei. But after some serious consideration, the Monarchs decided it would be better to stay and defend their Division II title.

“It was a close vote,” Mater Dei Coach Gina Jojola said. “But the girls who wanted a chance to go back-to-back won out.”

Jojola said senior Melissa Esmero lobbied hard for a move to Division I, but she was voted down.

“The back-to-back girls started swaying some others who were on the other side of the fence,” she said. “As it turns out, I’m glad we didn’t go.”

The Monarchs would have gone to Division I without one of their best players--sophomore Brittany Reitz, who quit the team after just three matches. Reitz, who was 5-1 in singles and 3-0 in doubles before departing, told Jojola she simply couldn’t commit herself fully to the team.

“With her academic workload and her private [tennis] coach, it was just too much for her,” Jojola said.

Jojola was disappointed, but not upset. She didn’t even know Reitz wanted to play for her team until days before the season started. Reitz, ranked 12th in Southern California in the girls’ 18s last year as a 14-year-old, was home-schooled last year. But she enrolled at Mater Dei this fall and is still in school.

The day Reitz’s father told Jojola that Brittany was leaving the team, Mater Dei played second-ranked Woodbridge. The Monarchs lost on games.

“Brittany’s leaving threw us for a loop that day,” said Jojola, a former basketball player at Southern California College. “I’m sure we’ll be much more prepared next time we play Woodbridge.”

Mater Dei might get the chance to see the Warriors in the playoffs now that Woodbridge also has decided to stay in Division II, after choosing to move up to Division I a year ago.

Woodbridge Coach Ric Barth said Athletic Director Alan Dugard never received the required paperwork from the Southern Section.

“By the time I called them on Sept. 15, it was too late,” Barth said. “I missed the deadline to request a move by two days.”

Barth asked his players if they wanted to appeal, but he said none of them were in any hurry to play defending champion Peninsula, which defeated the Warriors, 10-8, in last year’s Division I final.

“Let’s face it, everybody’s chasing Peninsula,” Barth said.

DOLPHINS’ DESERT STORM

Dana Hills won a six-team tournament in Palm Springs last weekend. Woodbridge took second and North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake was third.

The Dolphins’ victory would have been more meaningful if all the teams were at full strength. But most schools had at least a couple players back in Orange County at the Los Caballeros Junior Tournament, a qualifier for the USTA National Indoors in November.

Woodbridge was missing Elizabeth Exon, who won the girls’ 14s at Los Caballeros over Colby Comstock of Peninsula, and Susanna Lingman, who lost in the girls’ 18s quarterfinals to Lindsey Irons-Kilmer of Pasadena. Dana Hills, which went 5-0 in the round-robin format, was without Kady Pooler for one match at Palm Springs.

Laguna Beach sophomore Ashley Maddocks won the girls’ 16 division, 6-3, 6-4, over Amberly Tantee of Dana Point.

BRAVERMAN STAYS PERFECT

Natalie Braverman of Newport Harbor raised her singles record to 27-0 on Thursday with a sweep of Woodbridge. Braverman was tested by Lingman, but rallied from a 4-2 deficit to win, 6-4. Braverman says she is still not happy with her serve, but said she’s working with private coach Ross Case on improving it.

“My serve is no longer a weakness, but it’s definitely not a strength,” Braverman said. “I’m working on trying to be more consistent with it and then I can go from there.”

Braverman played in the Los Caballeros event, losing to Tantee in the round of 16. She has already qualified for the indoors, and Lingman, because of her quarterfinals finish, has also qualified.