Tough Semifinal Loss Ends Run by Dana Hills Doubles Team

After losing a hard-fought sixth game in the second set, the Dana Hills High doubles team of sophomores Jessica Perez and Cassidy Spearman, were eliminated, 6-1, 6-2, in the semifinals of the CIF-Southern Section girls individual tennis championships this morning at the Seal Beach Tennis Center.

The top-seeded Campbell Hall doubles team of Valerie Thong and Zoe Katz came out hot and took control early as they cruised to the 6-1 opening set victory. They appeared headed for a quick finish in the second set after rallying from a 1-0 deficit to take a 3-1 games lead. But Spearman and Perez fought back in the fifth game.

Tied at 15-15, Perez made three key shots at the net, two on lob attempts that she was able to reach up for and put at the feet of the Campbell Hall players. The final slam secured the game and brought Dana Hills back to within 3-2. The sixth game went to deuce and the two teams exchanged more than a dozen swings of advantage and deuce rallies before Thong and Katz eventually took the game and a 4-2 lead.

"[The sixth game] was pretty deflating," Spearman said, "but still we tried to bounce back."

When the game was at deuce, Dana Hills grabbed an early advantage when Spearman made a winning shot while charging the net for a drop-shot attempt. The two teams continued to exchange points, but neither could put away a game-winner. On a Campbell Hall advantage, Perez made a shot that hit the tape and rolled over to bring the game back to deuce.

But the eventual game-winner came on one of several baseline rallies. A Dana Hills baseline shot went just wide of the line and Campbell Hall grabbed as 4-2 lead and control of the set. Cassidy and Perez could not recover as Thong and Katz would win the next two games to close out the match.

Cassidy and Perez reached the semifinals with solid wins over Clarice and Emily Fraczek of Valencia and Elika Fateri and Danielle Pham of University. The two had lost only four games in four sets in the first two rounds.

"They had a good couple of weeks to get here," Dana Hills Coach Mark Spearman said.

Perez said she and Cassidy have playing styles that complement one another. They also played doubles together as freshmen last year, so the continuity had been established. Although disappointed in the match on Friday, Perez said they felt good about the season.

"We did better than last year, it was a big step up for us," Perez said.

In the secton's Division I team championships on Nov. 22, the Dolphins fell to defending champion Campbell Hall, 10-8.  In the final, the doubles team of Spearman and freshman Margo Pletcher beat Thong and Katz, 6-3, but the team of Perez and senior Joanna Smith lost to Thong and Katz, 6-1.