Estancia falls back, settles for second

COSTA MESA — The last time Estancia High played Laguna Beach, the two girls’ tennis teams looked exactly alike.

Same burgundy skirt with a white line running parallel to their waist.

Basically the same white top, except for the logos.

The match’s final score, 9-9, even matched before it was decided in games won three weeks ago.

The two were dressed to the nines again.

This time, the score on the court didn’t match.

Estancia lost its chance to win at least a share of the Orange Coast League championship as Laguna Beach won, 13-5, Tuesday.

The Breakers traveled to Estancia (11-5, 5-2 in league) with a new look.

No wardrobe change, just their lineup.

“It kind of threw a wrench in our plan,” Estancia Coach Rachel de los Santos said.

The makeover proved to be the difference for Laguna Beach, ranked No. 8 in the CIF Southern Section Division I poll.

The Breakers (15-2, 7-0) claimed their third straight Orange Coast League crown with two regular-season matches left. They did so in convincing fashion under second-year coach Jimmy Gleason.

The previous three victories against Estancia had been close.

Earlier this month, after playing to a 9-9 tie, Gleason’s team won due to a 77-71 games advantage.

Last season, de los Santos said the Breakers won, 10-8, twice.

Those three results compared to Tuesday’s left de los Santos puzzled midway through the match.

What she saw were Laguna Beach players competing in new spots.

She figured Alex Tachovsky, Laguna Beach’s No. 1 singles player, would return after missing the first match due to her health.

“We didn’t think it was going to impact the match all that much,” de los Santos said of Tachovsky’s return. “We assumed she would go in at their No. 1 spot and they would still have their same No. 2 and No. 3 [singles players], and we figured their doubles lineup would be the same.”

Gleason switched it up.

Instead of Haley Moss playing singles, she moved to No. 1 doubles, partnering with Lauren Michaels.

Michaels’ former teammate, Claire Jaeger, took over Moss’ No. 3 singles spot.

The Eagles’ No. 2 doubles team of Jennifer Johnston and Misha Brown wasn’t as successful as the first time against the Breakers.

The duo won only one of the three sets, compared to sweeping on Oct. 9.

“We were hoping for a sweep,” said de los Santos, expecting the same out of the Eagles’ No. 3 doubles team.

Kendra Fisher, a fixture at No. 2 singles, teamed up with Laurel Hinson. The two finished just like Johnston and Brown, winning one set.

In all, Estancia won two sets in doubles, half the amount from the previous match.

Moss and Michaels swept No. 1 doubles action and Jaeger went 2-1 in singles. Gleason was glad he made the moves, even though Moss questioned his reason why after the match.

“Haley hasn’t been able to move 100% because of her foot,” Gleason said. “She’s got an injury.”

Moss, sitting on the bleachers, overheard Gleason and spoke up.

“Don’t put that in,” she said. “Just say I had a foot injury.”

“I said because of your foot injury,” Gleason told her.

“Yeah, but don’t say that,” Moss said. “Say [I’ve] moved on to doubles from a foot injury.”

“OK,” Gleason said.

Everything was all right, except with Estancia senior Ellie Edles.

The league’s top singles player wanted to lead the Eagles to at least a share of their first league title since her freshman season. And she wanted to play Tachovsky.

Neither of the two happened. Edles swept, improving her sets record to 42-2.

Tachovsky played only the second and third sets because Gleason said the sophomore was battling an abdominal injury.

“I guess,” Edles said of Tachovsky’s injury, which forced her to serve underhand. “I’ve been looking forward to playing her. I’m bummed.”

Edles was also annoyed late in her final set. Someone tossed Laguna Beach’s Madeline Jaeger a water bottle over the fence after Edles went ahead, 5-4, in games.

Jaeger missed it. The bottle landed on the court, where it busted open and left water in the area where Edles was switching sides to.

Due to the wet surface, the set was moved to a nearby court.

“It’s a little frustrating,” said Edles, who’s headed to UC Davis. “I had the momentum. I had just won my serve. But I tried to stay focused and luckily I didn’t lose the next game.

“We were hoping to win. But, oh well.”

Orange Coast League

Laguna Beach 13, Estancia 5

Singles – Edles (E) def. Marlof, 6-0, def. M. Jaeger, 6-4, def. C. Jaeger, 6-0; Plascencia (E) lost, (sub) Tachovsky), 1-6, 1-6, (sub) Ehrhorn (E) lost, 0-6; O’Neil (E) lost, 0-6, 0-6, (sub) Marlborough (E) lost, 0-6.

Doubles – Payzant-Rodman (E) lost to Moss-Michaels, 0-6, lost to Tran-Nokes, 3-6, lost to Azera-Sganga, 1-6; Johnston-Brown (E) lost, 1-6, 3-6, won, 6-1; Hinson-Fisher (E) lost, 3-6, 3-6, won, 6-4.

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at [email protected].