CdM keeps winning

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA — The final tiebreaker ended quickly, maybe a little bit too quickly for Corona del Mar High freshman Jasie Dunk on Wednesday at Santa Margarita High.

Dunk and her sophomore partner, Siena Sharf, edged out a 7-6 (8-6) victory over Maddie Gehrich and Alexis Coglitore of Santa Margarita.

The tiebreaker and set were over on a winning volley by Sharf, much to the surprise of Dunk.

“Yeah, I thought we were going to 10 [points],” Dunk said with a laugh after the match.

The Sea Kings’ only freshman starter can be excused. After all, a tiebreaker victory is a rarity for the Sea Kings’ doubles teams this season.

Usually, the scores are much more lopsided.

CdM’s doubles teams dominated again Wednesday, sweeping in CdM’s key 12-6 nonleague road victory.

CdM’s No. 1 team of seniors Kenzie Purcifull and Kimmia Naaseh is now 11-0. The Nos. 2 and 3 teams of Sharf and Dunk, as well as junior Taylor Fogarty and sophomore Erica Chen, are now both 10-1.

Those are dominant numbers for the surging Sea Kings (4-0), who are ranked No. 4 in CIF Southern Section Division 1.

“We can lose, but we just try not to think about that,” Sharf said. “We just stay positive the whole time.”

Santa Margarita (4-2), the seven-time defending Trinity League champion, boasts a strong singles lineup. It features senior Alexandra Krogius and freshman Katie Chang, who is the niece of former professional tennis star Michael Chang.

Krogius and Chang both easily swept, with scores ranging from 6-0 to 6-2. But CdM earned three wins off Santa Margarita’s No. 3 singles player, with Riley Gerdau, Elena Fish and Lauren Thaxter picking up one each.

CdM won each round 4-2, clinching the victory early in the final round after victories by Gerdau in singles, and Purcifull and Naaseh in doubles.

“Once again, doubles coming through,” CdM Coach Brian Ricker said. “I guess that’s our theme: sweep doubles, sweep No. 3 singles and see what other points we can get.”

An experienced doubles lineup, which also went undefeated at the California Girls’ Tennis Classic won by CdM earlier this month, has been tough for opponents to crack. CdM also swept in doubles in its big win at Dana Hills last week, and the regulars all won twice before being subbed out of Tuesday’s Battle of the Bay victory over Newport Harbor.

“In high school doubles, it takes one year of starting on varsity to really get your feet under you,” Ricker said. “It’s essential, really. Jasie’s a freshman, so she’s doing great, but when you get girls in the lineup who have three years starting or a senior who’s started all four years? That’s when you really have super-dominant doubles teams. It just makes a huge difference.”

And CdM’s singles players also have been feisty. Fish, who has been rotating time with Shelby Anderson, had some nice long rallies during her final set against Krogius.

“They’re not going to give up, and they’re going to run people out of gas,” Ricker said. “Those are good qualities to have in singles players.”

Santa Margarita Coach Eric Michaut, whose team edged Northwood on games on Tuesday, doesn’t have to be ashamed about the Eagles’ two losses. They are to CdM and University. But, he said, he is looking for a bit more aggression out of his doubles teams.

“Every year, CdM has very good doubles teams,” Michaut said. “If you want to compete with them, you have to play very, very good doubles. If not, they’re going to take a maximum amount of points.

“You have two ways to look at it. Yeah, it can be scary, but it also gives our players something to look forward to improve. Even though they are really good and they are going to be good all season, it’s how you finish the season. Hopefully we can close the gap with those teams. That’s why we play most of the teams in the top 10; it’s very good for us.”

CdM plays host to Laguna Beach on Thursday. The following match is also at home on Sept. 25 against Peninsula, the top-ranked team in Division 1.