Romm Grows Into Leadership Role at Dana Hills

When you ask Dana Hills senior Kate Romm why she’s maybe the most improved player in the county, you get an unexpected answer.

“I’m more mature,” Romm says in a polite but matter-of-fact tone.

Nothing to do with her forehand, backhand or serve?

“No, I’ve just finally grown up,” Romm said. “Every year I’ve been here I’ve had problems with tennis. Not getting along with other players or a coach. But this year, I’m a captain. There’s a new coach [Jim Wilson] and a new start.”

And Romm has been on her game from the start. She opened the season by overcoming her arch-nemesis, Nadia Vaughan of Corona del Mar.

“She’s always had a mental edge on me,” Romm said. “I blocked it out and played my game.”

Romm then beat Woodbridge’s Adriana Hockicko for the first time. Last week, she took out Capistrano Valley’s Jennifer Bailey after trailing, 4-1. Romm, who has won 45 of 48 sets, called the victory over Bailey her biggest yet.

“Capo came out really cocky, then we came out and swept the first round,” Romm said. “It really changed the tone.”

Romm admitted that her tone has been different ever since Wilson took over for John Stephens, who retired after 12 seasons. Romm didn’t have anything bad to say about Stephens. She blamed her behavior and play for her performance last season, when she lost nearly four times as many sets as she has this season.

“Last year, I didn’t really have the game or the desire in the big matches,” said Romm, who has lost only to Woodbridge’s Susanna Lingman, Palos Verdes Peninsula’s Shilpa Joshi and Corona del Mar’s Anne Yelsey. “This year, I really want it and I know my attitude affects other people.”

Many of those other people are freshmen. Six are on Dana Hills’ roster, and Romm believes they look up to her.

“They see me being positive and I think they feed off that,” she said.

Even before the season began, Romm sensed the team’s attitude would be different. Wilson took the team camping in Yosemite for four days and Romm believes that brought everyone together.

“You really found out who you were and who your teammates were,” she said.

The team went hiking and rock climbing down a 100-foot cliff, but it didn’t play tennis. Romm said Yosemite was a much different experience than last year’s trip to Hawaii.

“Half the team went shopping and the other half went to the beach,” she said. “There wasn’t much togetherness. This team is a lot closer.”

The camaraderie and the talent have translated into a surprising season for the fourth-ranked Dolphins, who are 15-2 overall and 6-0 in the South Coast League. They can clinch the league title Wednesday with a victory over Capistrano Valley.

With the season and her high school career winding down, Romm is looking to the future. She is trying to decide where to spend the next four years. She has been to Texas El Paso and plans to visit Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Michigan State and Boise State.

LESLIE HEADING TO NOTRE DAME

Corona del Mar senior Caylan Leslie will play her college tennis at Notre Dame, where she will rejoin former Sea King Nina Vaughan, a sophomore for the Fighting Irish. Leslie, the fifth-ranked girls’ 18 player in Southern California, said she was determined to play her college tennis outside California.

“I wanted to experience something new,” she said. “I’m excited to be in cold weather.”

Leslie, who hasn’t played high school tennis in two seasons, said she isn’t sure how high on the singles ladder she will play as a freshman. Vaughan, whose younger sister, Nadia, recently committed to Southern Methodist, missed last season with a back injury but is healthy this year.

ADAMS COMMITS TO OLE MISS

Newport Harbor’s Audra Adams also will leave the state to play college tennis; she verbally committed to Mississippi this week. Adams is ranked 25th in Southern California and 109th nationally in the girls’ 18s.