Sailors swing to easy victory

Newport Harbor girls tennis for FriNewport Harbor High, despite missing head coach, has no problem disposing of winless Irvine in league match.NEWPORT BEACH -- The Newport Harbor High girls tennis team won dominantly at home against Irvine High Thursday afternoon, 18-0, in a Sea View League match.

Newport Harbor debuted this week in the CIF Southern Section Division I rankings at No. 10.

Thursday, the Sailors showed why they belonged there.

Irvine came into the match with a record of 0-14, and 0-4 in league. If ever a team needed an easy match, it was Irvine.

However, Newport Harbor was not in a charitable mood.

All of the matches were decidedly in the Sailors favor. The closest the winless Vaqueros came was winning three games in a match.

The team of Sasha Dunlap and Chrissy Schwartz swept their sets nearly flawlessly. The juniors lost only one game en route to winning their sets, 6-0, 6-1, 6-0.

Seniors Jill Casserly and Carly Adams each won all three of their singles sets in dominating fashion.

Casserly won her sets 6-0, 6-2, and 6-0. Adams, not to be outdone, won her sets 6-1, 6-3, 6-1.

The doubles team of Natalie Small and Melissa Chinn also outmatched their opponents, winning their sets, 6-1, 6-2, and 6-1.

Megan McKay and Alex McIntosh swept their sets, 6-1, 6-0, 6-2.

The landslide win made Newport Harbor assistant coach Brooke Taylor’s job that much easier.

Taylor was standing in for Sailor Coach Fletcher Olson, who was out of town.

“All of the girls played well. They came out and gave their best performances,� Taylor said.

“I was especially impressed with Brittany Cluck, she came off the bench and really stepped up for us today,� Taylor said.

Cluck came in and won two sets, 6-1 and 6-0, against the Vaqueros.

Newport Harbor couldn’t give away a set.

After the first round, Newport Harbor substituted Cluck for Brittanny Sturgess. There was a miscommunication as to which players were to play which opponent.

At the beginning of the third round, Cluck and Casserly both intended to play Irvine’s Marisa Takeuchi.

Irvine High Coach Gary Russell diffused the situation by substituting one of his reserves and everyone walked away content.

Newport Harbor (10-1, 5-0 in league) will play their next match Tuesday at Laguna Hills in a Sea View League showdown.20051014DJ1JS6AONo Caption20051014iobsm6knMARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT(LA)Newport Harbor High’s Carly Adams watches her forehand return sail toward her Irvine opponent during the Sailors’ 18-0 Sea View League home triumph.