Capistrano Valley Fails to Frighten Corona del Mar

Capistrano Valley appeared to be giving top-ranked Corona del Mar a scare. The Cougars had wrapped up one set and were leading handily in two others. But it turned out the Cougars were scared and couldn’t win any of the big points in a 16-2 loss Tuesday at Corona del Mar High in the Southern Section Division I girls’ tennis quarterfinals.

The Sea Kings (19-1) advance to the semifinals, where they will play fourth-seeded Newport Harbor (14-5). Capistrano Valley, making its first quarterfinal appearance in six years, finished 14-7.

“We wanted to get some momentum and we started to get some, but just like that, they took it away,” Capistrano Valley Coach Kerry Leander said. “They’re too good of a team to give another chance to. We had an opportunity to slam the door in doubles and we didn’t do it.”

Capistrano Valley’s Leigh Ann Merryman gave her team an early point with a 6-2 victory over Ruchika Budhraja and the doubles teams of Stacey Punchard and Michelle Keese, and Kate Hanahan and Lynn Nugent led their sets, 5-2 and 4-1. But Punchard and Keese eventually lost to Courtney Tenerelli and Jenny Meyer, 7-5, and Hanahan and Nugent fell to Christina Martinez and Kristen Griffith, 7-6 (12-10).

Leander said Corona del Mar’s name and ranking probably intimidated his girls.

“You take those 2 and 3 doubles teams and put them in San Clemente uniforms and we probably sweep them,” Leander said.