Inspired CdM knocks off No. 9 Northwood
NEWPORT BEACH – After missing most of the season due to atypical migraine headaches, Corona del Mar sophomore Lauren Thaxter was back on the court, providing her team with an emotional lift.
Despite losing 6-3 to sophomore Chloe Pham in her only set, Thaxter’s presence helped lift the Sea Kings to a 13-5 win over ninth-ranked Northwood in a Pacific Coast League match on Tuesday.
In just her second match with CdM since early September, Thaxter came off the court after her first set at No.1 singles because of the affects of her medical condition, which causes pain and fatigue. Still, the time on the court had Thaxter smiling.
“I just love it,” she said. “I know this is a condition I’m going to have to deal with for the rest of my life.”
Corona del Mar (4-7, 3-3) is in a three-time battle for second place in the PCL with Woodbridge and Northwood (11-3, 4-2).
Northwood coach Eric Keith, whose team already holds wins over the Sea Kings and the Warriors, said he expects the fight between those three teams to last up until the final moments of the regular season.
“It’s going to be close,” Keith said. “It might come down to one set here or there and really going down to the final match.”
But for CdM, a team that has fallen out of the county’s top ten, adding Thaxter to the lineup could give them a major push down the stretch.
“It makes a big difference because everyone else moves down one spot. It gives them a top girl in singles and makes them deeper,” Keith said. “It really just makes the whole team better.”
Thaxter, who was originally misdiagnosed with heat stroke, said medication to treat the migraines should begin working in the next two weeks, hopefully allowing her to be on the courts more often.
“We’re just happy she’s here and learning to deal with it,” Ricker said. “…That was her first tough set, she had to deal with it and she came out. Now, I know she wishes she could get back in there.
“It’s definitely a motivating factor for the rest of the team when she shows up.”
