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SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — JSerra shuffled its lineup Tuesday, stacking doubles to counter Santa Margarita’s staunch singles lineup.

The strategy helped keep the match close early as the Lions won a couple early doubles sets, but Santa Margarita’s doubles came through just enough to provide the margin between the top two girls tennis teams in the Trinity League.

No. 4 Santa Margarita took four doubles sets and rolled in singles behind the strong play of freshman Katie Chang, holding off No. 8 JSerra, 11-7, at JSerra. It was the first loss of the season for JSerra.

The Lions (9-1, 2-1) paired their regular No. 2 and 3 singles players, Mary Kaffen and Eliza Day, together as a doubles team, and they swept Santa Margarita, but two critical set wins for the Eagles (11-2, 4-0) provided the difference.

First, Santa Margarita’s No. 3 doubles team of Megan Muklevicz and Dillon Gustafson fought through a close set to defeat JSerra’s No. 1 doubles team of Natalie Wek and Zoe Kaffen, 6-4. It gave Santa Margarita a 7-5 overall lead heading into the final round, rather than the match being tied.

“The doubles came through today,” Santa Margarita coach Eric Michaut said.

The other critical moment came in the last round when two of the best freshmen in the county, Chang and Jadie Acidera, squared off. Chang, who swept against No. 9 Tesoro on Monday, won convincingly, 6-1.

“The past two weeks, she went to a whole different level,” Michaut said.

Alexandra Krogius and Deena Fatehi each won two of three sets in singles, giving the Eagles a 7-2 advantage in singles overall.

The teams meet again Oct. 24. JSerra coach Kirk Orahood said the Lions have never beaten Santa Margarita, but he felt the doubles-stacking strategy he implemented Tuesday could work next time around.

“On paper,” Orahood said, “this is the closest we’re going to be.”