Vaughan’s Victory Puts Corona del Mar Into Semifinals

Nadia Vaughan’s tennis game was up and down all day. Fortunately for Corona del Mar, Vaughan landed right side up. It was her comeback victory over Capistrano Valley senior Carolyn Mitchell that gave visiting Corona del Mar a 10-8 win in the quarterfinals of the Southern Section Division I girls’ tennis playoffs.

The Sea Kings will meet defending champion Palos Verdes Peninsula in the semifinals on Thursday.

Vaughan, who trailed 5-4 to Mitchell after leading 3-0, said her teammates intentionally misled her about the importance of her set.

“I asked them at 6-5 and they told me we had already won,” said Vaughan, a senior. “They didn’t want to put any pressure on me. But I kind of figured it was coming down to my match when everybody came over to the court.”

Capistrano Valley (16-5) trailed Corona del Mar, 4-2, after the first round. The swing match was Vaughan’s 7-6 (8-6) victory at No. 1 singles over Leigh Ann Merryman. Merryman led, 5-2, before Vaughan began attacking the net and forcing Merryman into numerous unforced errors.

In the second round, Vaughan led Capistrano Valley’s No. 2 player Jennifer Bailey, 3-0. But she lost the next six games to Bailey, who turned around the match with strong ground strokes and nearly flawless serving. Bailey’s victory tied the match at six.

Capistrano Valley won two of first three sets in the third round. Bailey and the No. 1 doubles team of Lauren Jones and Michelle Keese won their sets, 6-0, to give the Cougars an insurmountable lead in games. But freshman Anne Yelsey rallied from a 4-3 deficit to beat Merryman, 6-4, and the No. 3 doubles team of Laura Claster and Katie Tenerelli beat Capistrano Valley’s No. 2 team Lynn Nugent and Radhika Batra, 7-5.

That left it up to Vaughan, who learned earlier in the day that she was replacing Yelsey in the section individual tournament on Saturday. Yelsey, who finished second in the Sea View League tournament and swept her three sets Tuesday, had a prior commitment to a USTA team event.

Vaughan, who was chosen based on her third-place finish in the Sea View League, simply overpowered Mitchell in the last three games.

“We were hoping we could get one more game, but we just fell short,” Capistrano Valley Coach Susan Unger said. “That happens sometimes.”

Corona del Mar Coach Andy Stewart was drained after the match.

“This is tough,” said Stewart. “I’ll have to call my high school and college coaches. It’s a lot easier as a player.”