STATE TENNIS: Hungry Cougar girls face nemesis
It seemed a foregone conclusion each year.
Coronado’s girls tennis team would head to the state semifinals just as they’d done every year since winning the title in 2003.
Until last year, that is, when the Cougars came up short and stayed home.
A year wiser and a lot hungrier, Coronado is back, ready to start a new streak and pick up another trophy.
The Cougars (12-2) will face nemesis and four-time defending state champion Bishop Gorman (15-0) in a state semifinal at 2:30 p.m. today at Darling Tennis Center. Liberty (16-0) and Reno (13-0) meet in the other semifinal at 2:30 p.m., with the two winners returning at 11 a.m. Friday.
“I’m so excited that we get to go back to state,” said Coronado senior Jordan Luna, who was on the team for state berths in 2006 and ’07. “It doesn’t matter who we’re playing. We’re going to go out and play our best and try to have fun.”
The Cougars took the long road to get back to the state meet, falling to Liberty in the Sunrise Region final and then beating The Meadows on Monday in a state play-in match.
Given the changes in their lineup, it’s not a total surprise the Cougars have had to work harder to get back to state.
Luna and classmate Ilyssa Popowcer both played doubles last season. They’re the top two singles players this season. Nicole Gardner, a freshman, and senior Madison Mathis also are in the singles rotation.
“Except for one girl, nobody has more than three or four years of experience in tennis,” said Coronado coach Bob Clements, who guided Coronado to the state title in 2003 and Silverado to the state crown in 2000.
The Cougars also aren’t blessed with a standout player or doubles team that strikes fear into the heart of an opponent. Of the four teams at state, Coronado is the only one not to also have an entry in either the singles or doubles quarterfinals.
Instead, Coronado is balanced, allowing the players to push each other in practice to improve.
The Cougars’ doubles teams of Liz Gibbons and Casey Thevenot, Lea Cohen and Jonelle Espinoza, and Paige Nisson and Brooke White aren’t flashy but find ways to win.
“They play tough against each other,” Clements said. “Our girls are all pretty even. We don’t have any super power players. Our girls just try to keep the ball on the court a lot more.
“Our singles players have worked their tails off. The doubles have just been coming through consistently.”
That will have to be the case when the Cougars take on Gorman. The Gaels are overloaded with talent and have history on their side.
Coronado’s past three trips to state ended in losses to Gorman, including a narrow 10-8 setback in the 2007 state final.
Coronado’s past three trips to state ended in losses to Gorman, including a narrow 10-8 setback in the 2007 state final.
“They’re good, but I think if we play our best, we may come out on top,” Luna said.
The boys semifinals are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. today at Darling.
Coronado (12-0), which finished second at state last season, takes on Centennial (12-2) in one semifinal; Palo Verde (13-0) meets Reno (13-0) in the other. The boys championship match is at 11 a.m. Friday.
The individual tournaments for singles and doubles begin at 4 p.m. Friday with the championships scheduled for noon Saturday at Darling.
