Sports
Sage Hill Closes Gap but Comes Up Short in Final
Lightning ties its Academy League rival, St. Margaret's, 9-9, in sets during the CIF-Southern Section Division III girls tennis final but loses on games, 69-60.
The Sage Hill girls' tennis team simply ran out of time this season.
The Lightning closed the gap against San Juan Capistrano St. Margaret's throughout the fall but came up one set short Nov. 22 in the CIF-Southern Section Division III championships, tying on sets, 9-9, but losing on games, 69-60, at the Claremont Club.
"If we had another three weeks to play them again, I think we could get one more game," Sage Hill coach A.G. Longoria said.
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When matches finish as close as this one, it's easy to second-guess a team's strategy, but Longoria said his worked out exactly as he planned. He knew his doubles teams would have to win all nine sets to upset third-seeded St. Margaret's, and they came close, winning eight.
The other possibility was a victory by Kimberly Brown against Molly Brookes at No. 3 singles. Brown twice had game point to take a 5-3 lead but ended up losing the game and ultimately dropping the set, 6-4.
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With three sets remaining, Sage Hill was leading, 9-6, and had a 58-51 advantage in games, but the Tartans swept the final sets in convincing fashion to take the lead in games as well.
Two years ago, Sage Hill had match point against the Tartans in the section finals but couldn't put them away and lost, 10-8.
St. Margaret's, the Academy League champion, has won three consecutive section titles.
The doubles team of Katie Bick and Rian Billingsley swept its sets, 6-1, 6-1, 6-0, for the Lightning, as did the team of Devyn Billingsley and Lauren Hsu, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.
In the team's league meeting of Oct. 30, St. Margaret's prevailed, 10-8, after winning the first-round match, 11-7, on Oct. 12.
DIVISION III CHAMPIONSHIP
St. Margaret's 9, Sage Hill 9 (SM wins on games, 69-60)
SINGLES—Korber (SH) lost to Cheng, 0-6, lost to Oederkirk, 1-6, d. Mo. Brookes, 6-4; Astorino (SH), 0-6, 0-6, 1-6; Brown (SH), 0-6, 0-6, 4-6. DOUBLES—Bick-R. Billingsley (SH) d. Gottlieg-Hess, 6-1, d. Smith-Hughes, 6-1, d. Mi. Brookes-Fragapane, 6-0; D. Billingsley-Hsu (SH), 6-4, 6-2, 6-2; Simon-Soleimany (SH), 0-6, 6-1, 6-0.
