Sports
Mira Costa Boys Tennis Takes Third Place from Rival Redondo
The boys tennis team finishes the season in third place (4-5) and is rewarded the final seat at the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs after beating Redondo in an unscheduled third place showdown.
In an unscheduled third place playoff match, the Mira Costa Mustangs defeated the Redondo Sea Hawks (12-6) last Tuesday to secure an appearance in the CIF playoffs.
Both teams ended the Bay League season tied, each with a 3-5 record.
The necessary playoff match was held at Mira Costa the day following the Mustangs' last scheduled league match against Palos Verdes.
“This is the kind of match that high school athletics is all about,” said coach Joe Ciasulli.
The tension on the courts was high and there was a lot at stake for both teams.
Mira Costa had been undefeated against rival Redondo since 2005. However, Redondo changed that, posting a win against their Mustang rivals on April 12th, but thendropping the match on April 27th when the teams met again.
Having each won a match this season, Ciasulli expressed the importance of the playoff and energized his team heading into the match.
“Watching the team pull for each other was an incredibly rewarding experience to end the season,” said Ciasulli. “I couldn’t be happier.”
Will Wong, Kyvan Elep and Toni Cvitanic all were victorious in singles play (2-1), but each dropped a set to Redondo sophomore Derek Levchenko. The Mustangs boys singles finished 6-3.
In doubles play the outcome was quite similar (6-3) for the Mustangs. Ben Sands/Michael Carella and Matt Wah/Brian Brothers prevailed, in two sets each, against Redondo.
Senior Wong, who is off to UCLA next year, was happy to end the regular season and is looking forward to CIF. “ Today’s sets were fun, especially when you didn’t even know you were going to have a match.”
Redondo (12-9, 3-6) plans to apply for one of four wild-card entries to the post season, which they have been able to attain in 2009 and 2010.
