Sailors have perfect Case for court

If the members of the Newport Harbor High girls’ tennis team weren’t close before, they certainly are now.

New Sailors Coach Kristen Case made sure of that.

Newport Harbor teammates hung out over the summer, dropping by Case’s tennis class and going to Newport Beach Breakers matches. This weekend, the Sailors went on a team-bonding trip to Big Bear, where they had to navigate through a ropes course.

The hope is that the camaraderie will make it easier to navigate through the Sunset League for the Sailors, who have seven returning seniors from a team that advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division II quarterfinals last season.

“I want to make their senior year their best year yet,” Case said. “They’ve put in so much effort. We had a lot of team bonding and we have a lot of team spirit. They’ve all done their part. I’m really confident that they’ll all bring everything to the table when our matches begin.”

Case, who is coaching the team with longtime coach Fletcher Olson, is a product of the Newport Harbor girls’ tennis program. After excelling in doubles for the Sailors in the late 1990s, she went on to play tennis at UC Berkeley. So she knows that even though tennis is largely an individual sport, it’s important for teams to get along.

“We all work together really well,” she said. “They were all open to coaching, and that’s made my job really fun.”

Senior Alex McIntosh should lead the way at No. 1 singles. McIntosh, a first-team All-Sunset League selection a year ago, was the league runner-up in singles. She has been working hard to get better, winning the Costa Mesa Summer Junior Classic girls’ 18s title in July.

“She had a great summer,” Case said. “She’s played consistent tournaments all through the summer; she’s stepped her game up. Her game is at a new level, and I think she’ll have a great senior year.”

Fellow senior Emily Gelbaum will likely play at No. 2 singles, the spot she occupied most of last season as well.

“She’s also put in a lot of effort to really improve,” Case said.

The rest of the senior class includes Allie Shea, Avalon Sigalos, Lexi Zarrilli, Brittany Sowers and Kristen Kahn. Gelbaum and Sowers were second-team all-league selections a year ago.

Most of the remaining seniors will play doubles, trying to offset the loss of program graduates Chrissy Schwartz and Sasha Dunlap, who often played No. 1 doubles last year for the Tars. Schwartz can now be seen on the MTV reality show “Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County.”

Case said that Shea and Sigalos, who played at No. 2 doubles last season, could team up again.

“They’ll be a team to watch,” Case said. “I just think it’ll be trial and error with our doubles. I want to see how different teams work together. Once it clicks, I think the girls will roll with it.”

Juniors Natalie Small and Ariana Cernius also return for Newport, and juniors Liz Cramer, Jeanne Frei and Suzy Strutner are up from the junior varsity.

“Liz has really impressed me with her game,” Case said. “She’ll see some good playing time in the lineup.”

But, whoever the Sailors starters end up being, expect plenty of cheering from the subs.

“I think your win is so much more significant when it matters for the team you’ve worked hard with,” Case said. “They want to do it not just for themselves, but for the 11 other girls they’ve been working hard with. Players are very used to it being just them, but playing on a high school team is such a unique experience. I think it makes it a little more fun.”

The Sailors could contend in the Sunset League, but Case said she isn’t worried about that just yet.

“I haven’t focused on the teams we’ll be playing,” she said. “We’ll be playing our game. I have high expectations for the girls. They’re talented enough that they should expect a lot this season. I want the seniors to feel like it was their best year yet.”

Newport Harbor opens its season Sept. 11 at Sunny Hills, then faces Foothill on Sept. 12 at home.

“That’s my birthday, so they better win,” said Case, who will turn 25. “Just kidding.”