SOUTHERN SECTION GIRLS’ TENNIS PLAYOFFS : No. 3 Corona del Mar Rolls Into Semifinals

Corona del Mar advanced to the semifinals of the Southern Section Division I tennis playoffs with a 14-4 victory over Santa Barbara San Marcos Tuesday at Corona del Mar.

The third-seeded Sea Kings were led by their doubles teams, winners of eight of nine matches. That helped give Corona del Mar a 5-1 lead after the first round.

In the second round, Corona del Mar put the match out of reach, taking a 9-3 lead.

Seniors Ranee Rhodes and Melissa Allinson keyed the victory, sweeping their sets, 7-6, 7-6, 6-0. Rhodes and Allinson were down, 1-4, against Apolka Patruska and Stacey Holmes in the second set, but the pair won their second tie-breaker of the day.

“We were confident we’d win,” Rhodes said. “We just kept playing hard.”

Christie O’Meara and partner Jenny Glasgow easily swept their sets, 6-3, 6-0, 6-0, and sophomores Marisol Perea and Ashley Harrington won, 6-3, 1-6, 6-0.

In singles, Corona del Mar (17-4) was unable to get by the Royals’ top player, Kara Warkentin, who swept, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.

In singles, Alissa Scott won, 6-3, 6-0, 4-6. Freshman Nina Vaughan lost her first set of the playoffs to Warkentin, 6-4, but rebounded in her final two sets, 6-1, 6-3. Junior Megan Wachtler also won two of three sets, 7-5, 6-2, 2-6.

Corona del Mar will play Thursday at Dana Hills.