The Corona del Mar High girls’ tennis team had a remarkable season.
It was undefeated until the very last match, when the Sea Kings ran into a team that was making a return appearance in the CIF State championship match and trying to earn some redemption.
Northern California champion Los Altos edged Southern California champion Corona del Mar, 4-3, in the CIF State championship match on Saturday at Fresno State.
Corona del Mar, the CIF Southern Section Division 1 champion that was making its first state title match appearance, finished its season 24-1.
The Sea Kings were able to meld strong senior and freshman classes to keep their season going until the final weekend of November. It ended with one last road trip, with the players carpooling up to Fresno with parents on Friday in preparation for Saturday’s state championship match.
“This was definitely my favorite season [at CdM],” senior singles player Polina Briggs said in a phone interview. “I feel like we bonded so well and we’re all super-close. We tried our best in every match. I’m really proud of us for getting this far and competing at a high level.”
Isabell Roytman, right, and partner Sasha Briggs, shown competing against Sage Hill earlier this postseason, won at No. 2 doubles for CdM on Saturday in the state championship match.
(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)
The CIF State championship match followed the Southern California Regional format, with four singles players and three doubles teams. It matched the top-heavy nature of Los Altos with CdM’s depth, with results that were perhaps predictable.
Corona del Mar took a 3-0 lead relatively quickly. Freshman Addie DiNicola earned a win at No. 4 singles, as did seniors Sasha Briggs and Isabel Roytman at No. 2 doubles and sophomore Madi Jackson and freshman Olivia Lew at No. 3 doubles.
Los Altos, which had lost in the CIF State championship match to Palos Verdes last year, relied on some of its studs to rally.
“They definitely gave us a good challenge, because they’re definitely the best team we’ve played,” CdM sophomore singles player Julia Cross said. “They’re just super-duper strong at the stop … They have four super-good players, and all of those players were able to pull out wins. That’s how they got four sets to help their whole team win.”
Los Altos topped the CdM freshman tandem of Sienna Lynn and Brynn Patterson at No. 1 doubles in three sets, then won a trio of singles sets to edge out the win.
The Eagles’ No. 1 player, Wake Forest commit Bella Mariona, beat CdM senior Emilie Lew in straight sets at No. 1 singles. Then, Los Altos’ Emily Wu edged Polina Briggs, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, at No. 2 singles.
The final set to complete was No. 3 singles, with Los Altos’ Pallavi Mallampati earning a 7-5, 6-7, 6-0 victory over Cross.
CdM freshman Addie DiNicola, shown in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals against Mater Dei, won at No. 4 singles on Saturday for the Sea Kings.
(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)
“I guess we were trying to get an upset in one of the singles matches, but it just didn’t really happen,” Polina Briggs said.
CdM coach Tyler Gaede, who led the Sunset League champion Sea Kings on court during the last couple of weeks of the postseason as head coach Jamie Gresh recovered from hip surgery, said he was proud of the fight.
“We gave it our best shot,” Gaede said. “The girls played and competed phenomenally … A couple of points go a different way, maybe it shakes out differently. But just to hang in there in two three-setters at the end of a match, you’re competing really, really hard at that point.”
Roytman said having one more match with her team meant “everything” to her as a senior.
“I’ve always put my all into this team,” Roytman said. “I made some of my best friends on this team, lifelong friends. To get to senior year and have such a good season, it’s just such a good moment. This loss, it’s bittersweet, 100%. I wouldn’t have even expected us to come this far, to be honest.”
Though the team season is over, six Corona del Mar players will still continue in the CIF Southern Section Individuals tournament in both singles and doubles.
All of the Sea Kings’ CIF Individuals entrants — Emilie Lew and Polina Briggs in singles, plus the doubles teams of Lynn and Cross and Roytman and Sasha Briggs — have advanced to at least the round of 32. The action resumes Wednesday at Biszantz Family Tennis Center in Claremont, with round of 32, round of 16 and quarterfinal matches.
“I’m very grateful that it’s gone on for this long, and I’m trying to hold onto it as much as I can,” Roytman said. “This is one more thing to look forward to, that we can cheer each other on to make it as far as we can.”