CLAREMONT – Wet weather could not dampen the spirits of University’s girls tennis team Friday, as the Trojans defeated Torrey Pines of San Diego to advance to the Southern California Regional Finals at The Claremont Club.
With the rain beginning to pour down, Kayti Luu closed out her singles match with Jessica Walker to give University a decisive fourth point – out of a possible seven points – and send the Trojans to today’s 3:30 p.m. regional final.
The final appearance sets up a potential CIF-SS Division 1 championship rematch with top-seeded Peninsula of Rolling Hills Estates. Peninsula’s semifinal match against Campbell Hall of North Hollywood was postponed because of the rain. It is scheduled to be played today at 1 p.m.
As Luu converted her match point, her teammates mobbed her for bringing the match to an end.
“Katie Luu is somebody who played a lot of JV for us this year,” Trojans coach John Kessler said. “We asked her to get that fourth win for us. It was pretty exciting.”
Although University won the only matches that were completed, the Trojans felt the pressure against Torrey Pines. The Trojans dropped the first set in three of their four singles matches against the Falcons.
After each doubles team pulled out the first set for the Trojans, the Falcons turned the tables. Torrey Pines jumped in front in the second set of each doubles match, and University’s No. 1 singles player Yuki Asami was on the verge of being beaten by Kelsey Chen.
Asami rallied, breaking Chen at 5-all to take the second set. The Trojans breathed a collective sigh of relief, and the team settled in at that moment.
Celine Gruaz reined in her emotions to capture a 0-6, 6-0, 6-0 victory over Alexa Meyer. The doubles team of Sarah Mae Garcia and Anja Seng defeated Nicole Beachboard and Sheyda Khonji, 7-6 (1), 6-4. Danielle Pham and Judy Kam knocked off Tasia Morchernak and Agostina Waisfeld, 6-2, 7-6 (4), to set up Luu’s triumphant moment.
Corona del Mar had the first shot at Torrey Pines on Friday, but the Sea Kings fell, 4-3, in their quarterfinal match.
Strong doubles play helped Corona del Mar take a 3-2 lead with the No. 1 singles and doubles matches still on court.
Chen wore down Lauren Thaxter with penetrating ground strokes to claim the tying point, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2.
Siena Sharf and Jasie Dunk battled back from double-break down in the second set, but Morchernak and Waisfeld clinched the match for Torrey Pines with their 7-5, 7-5 win.
Canyon entered the tournament as Orange County’s lone non-Division 1 team. The Comanches fell to University, 5-2, in the quarterfinals.
Canyon inserted Amanda Zuidema and Helena Bui into doubles to contend with the Trojans’ strength, but University took advantage of the void in singles, dropping one game in the four matches.