Laguna Beach Plays Tough in the Clutch to Win Title

Laguna Beach came out ahead on three tiebreakers Monday and the Artists won their seventh Southern Section girls’ tennis title with a 12-6 victory over Carpinteria Cate in Division V tennis at the Claremont Club.

The unseeded Artists, who upset top-seeded Pasadena Poly on their way to the finals, have won four Division II titles, two in Division III and one in Division V title since 1979.

Freshman Rory Steinle and sophomore Caroline Tucker, Laguna Beach’s No. 3 doubles team, picked up the key victory, giving the Artists (13-10) a 7-5 lead after the second round when they stunned Chethana Chandrashekar and Susannah Smith, 7-6 (8-6).

Chandrashekar and Smith had a set-point opportunity, but Steinle placed a shot between the two of them to tie the score, 6-6. Steinle and Tucker won the set when Smith returned a shot into the net.

“[Steinle and Tucker] just started playing together in the playoffs,” second-year Laguna Beach Coach Michelle Foster said. “To come through under that pressure in a tiebreaker is unbelievable for a freshman and a sophomore. They played above themselves today.”

Steinle and Tucker finished, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (8-6), 3-6.

Going into the third round, Foster felt comfortable with her team’s chances, needing only three sets for the title.

Senior Amy Falcone and Sabrina Messineo won their second set to give the Artists an 8-6 lead, with a 6-1 victory in doubles. And freshman Lindsey Butterwick made it 9-6 with a 6-2 victory over freshman Leone Price in singles.

Butterwick finished 1-6, 3-6, 6-2 and Falcone and Messineo went 6-1, 4-6, 6-1.

Laguna Beach freshman Ashley Maddocks, ranked 15th in the nation in 14s and third in Southern California, looked to be a sure winner and give the Artists their 10th point when she took a 4-1 lead over junior Jackie Okwueze. But Maddocks faltered and Okwueze went ahead, 5-4.

“We were feeling really confident going into the third round,” Foster said. “And then Ashley went to 5-5 and I started getting nervous. But I went over and talked to her and she said ‘Don’t worry, I’m going to do it.’ ”

And while Maddocks did win in a tiebreaker, 7-6, (7-0), coming from behind for the second time Monday, it was Meghan MacGillivray and Caitlin McMahon who gave Laguna Beach a 10-6 lead with a 6-2 victory over Chandrashekar and Smith. McMahon and MacGillivray finished, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

In her first match, Maddocks fell behind, 4-1, to Cate freshman Lori Stern, ranked fifth in Southern California. Foster then had a short talk with Maddocks in between games.

“I just told her to quit playing [Stern’s] game,” Foster said. “She’s a smart player, so I don’t really need to say much to her.”

After that, Maddocks won five consecutive games to win, 6-4.

Cate finished the season 16-5.