Girls tennis: Sailors steady in win over Uni

Steve Virgen

NEWPORT BEACH - It was all about redemption for Newport Harbor High

sophomores Bonnie Adams and Vanessa Dunlap, as they overcame two losses

to score one of three crucial victories for the Sailors’ girls tennis

team Thursday. The sophomore duo’s win over visiting University’s No. 1

doubles team displayed Newport’s grit, leading to a 12-6 CIF Southern

Section Division II semifinal victory.

The Sailors (15-3) will face Troy, a 12-6 winner over Los Alamitos,

Monday at 1:30 p.m at Claremont Club for the Division II title.

Adams and Dunlap, Newport’s No. 3 doubles team, overcame, 2-6, and,

7-6, losses, leading in the latter, 6-5, before falling.

But the Newport tandem shook it off and surged past Uni’s Alex Aswad

and Jessica Janner for the 7-5 win. With the score tied, 5-5, Dunlap

confidently told Adams, “Let’s do this.” And the Sailors broke the

Trojans’ serve. Then Adams served for the win.

“We didn’t want to win just one ball; we wanted the whole match,”

Adams said of the win over Aswad and Janner. “We were aggressive. We knew

we were a better team than (in the two losses).”

Coach Fletcher Olson’s Sailors also received huge wins from the senior

duo of Carmen Khoury and Erika Buder, the No. 2 doubles team which also

pulled off a 7-5 win over Aswad and Janner. Newport sophomore Diana

Khoury, playing No. 3 singles, came up with a 6-1 victory over Uni’s No.

2 Janice Chang. And Newport’s No. 1 singles player, senior Natalie

Braverman, and doubles team, junior Krista McIntosh and senior Kelly

Nelson, took care of business.

Braverman, who signed her letter of intent with Pepperdine University

Wednesday, earned three victories, as did the duo of McIntosh and Nelson.

The Trojans ended their season 14-6.

CIF DIVISION II

Semifinal

Newport Harbor 12, University 6 Singles - Braverman (NH) def. Biorkman, 6-3, def. Chang, 6-0, def.

Kausen, 6-1; Hawkins (NH) lost, 3-6, won, 6-1, 6-3; D. Khoury (NH) lost,

1-6, won, 6-1, lost, 5-7.

Doubles - McIntosh-K. Nelson (NH) def. Aswad-Janner, 6-1, def.

Wilson-Langer, 7-5, def. Ngo-Ho, 6-1; C. Khoury-Buder (NH) won, 7-5, 6-3,

lost, 3-6; Adams-Dunlap (NH) won, 7-5, lost 6-7, 2-6.