Corona del Mar Gets Last Word in Victory

Calabasas High girls’ tennis players penned slogans, nicknames and messages of encouragement to themselves in marker ink on their arms, backs and shoulders.

But none of it made much difference against Corona del Mar, Orange County’s top-ranked team. The writing was already on the wall.

Anne Yelsey and Brittany Reitz each surrendered only one game in sweeping three sets at Nos. 1 and 2 singles for the top-seeded Sea Kings, who defeated No. 2-seeded Calabasas, 13-5, in the Southern Section Division IV championship match Monday at the Claremont Club.

With four players ranked in the top 20 in their age groups in Southern California and five in the top 50, Corona del Mar (21-2) won eight of nine singles sets against Calabasas (21-1), the defending division champion.

Yelsey, a sophomore rated No. 3 in the U.S. Tennis Assn. Southern California girls’ 16 singles division, blanked Dana Schnitman and Marisa Kagan, 6-0, and beat Monica Weisener, 6-1. Reitz, a junior ranked 16th in Southern California girls’ 18s, beat the same three players by the same scores.

“We knew we could win if we played a good match,” Yelsey said.

“We have such a tough team,” said Reitz, who on Sunday teamed with Yelsey to win the USTA Southern California girls’ 18 doubles sectional title and placed third in the 18 mixed doubles with University’s Aaron Yovan.

“We’re playing so well right now,” Reitz said. “Everything’s kind of falling into place. I think we could take on any team right now and do really well.”