Dons double-up on CDM to make CIF Final

Coming into Tuesday’s CIF semifinal match, Santa Barbara High’s boys tennis team prepared for a stiff challenge from visiting Corona del Mar. The No. 3 Sea Kings were holders of an 18-2 record, their only losses to undefeated and No. 1-ranked University.

So a 12-6 victory was great news for the Dons, who move on to face the same University team – 14-4 winners over Harvard-Westlake in the other Division-I semifinal – in next Wednesday’s CIF Final at the Claremont Club.

“We’ve really come together as a team and we’re playing at our highest level right now,” said Santa Barbara’s No. 2 singles player Nico Pollero, who went 2-1 on the afternoon.

Pollero’s first set was one of two the Dons claimed in a tiebreaker in the first round, giving Santa Barbara a 5-1 lead instead of a possible 3-3 draw.

In the second round, Logan Liddell and Chris Grant grinded out a 9-7 tiebreak win over Corona del Mar’s Carter Wheatly and Alex Murray, making for another round that went to the Dons that could have been even.

“We lost three sets in the first two rounds in three tiebreakers when we had set points in all three,” said Sea Kings coach Brian Ricker, pointing out how easily it could have been 6-6 after two rounds instead of virtually over at 9-3. “They’re just a little tougher than we are.”

Shane Korber did claim one tiebreaker for CDM, edging Pollero 7-4.

Ricker credited the Dons with neutralizing his normally dominant doubles lineup by taking six of the nine sets played. Wheatly and Murray had an especially grueling day, falling twice in tiebreakers. Only Ismen Aboubakare and Pierce Stembler had a winning day on the doubles side for the Sea Kings, winning two of three sets.

Jim Vaughan and Chris Williams ended up the dominant ones, putting up the only three-set sweep of the match with set scores of 6-1, 6-1, 6-2.

Chase Melton swept his two sets 6-1, 6-0 in the No. 1 singles slot but got a rest in the third round. The Cal-bound senior said he’s looking forward to a rematch with University, which defeated the Dons in the 2008 CIF title match.

“I’m excited,” Melton said. “It will be a fun match.”

VIEW COMPLETE CIF TENNIS BRACKETS

SANTA BARBARA 12, CORONA DEL MAR 6

SB Singles – Melton 2-0, Pollero 2-1, Garcia 2-1, Maassen 0-1. CDM Singles – Korber 1-2, Peyton 2-1, Carlis 0-3. SB Doubles – Vaughan/Williams 3-0, Diaz/Baum 2-1, Liddell/Grant 1-2. CDM Doubles – Fischer/Fletcher 1-2, Wheatly/Murray 0-3, Aboubakare/Stembler 2-1.