Xepoleas, Sage duo in action

By Matt Szabo, <a href=”mailto:matthew.szabo@latimes.com”>matthew.szabo@latimes.com</a>

Dec. 1, 2010 11:35 PM PT

As the No. 2 seed, Corona del Mar High senior Lynda Xepoleas is one of the favorites to win the CIF Southern Section Individual singles title.

Xepoleas’ journey continues today as the round of 16 gets underway at Seal Beach Tennis Center, beginning at 11:30 a.m. The Sage Hill School doubles team of juniors Rian Billingsley and Katie Bick will also be in action in the round of 16.

Draws are released on-site today in Seal Beach. The singles and doubles round of 16 and quarterfinals are today, with the semifinals and championship match scheduled for Friday.

The Purdue-bound Xepoleas finished runner-up in the Pacific Coast League to another of the favorites to win, top-seeded Woodbridge freshman Mayo Hibi.

Xepoleas, in her first year playing high school tennis after moving to Newport Beach, is ranked No. 5 in Southern California and No. 8 nationally in girls’ 18s. Besides Hibi, the other top three challengers are likely Sabrina Santamaria and Sarah Lee of CIF Division I champion Campbell Hall, as well as Joanna Smith from Division I runner-up Dana Hills.

Santamaria and Lee won the CIF Individuals doubles title two years ago as sophomores. Santamaria has committed to USC, Lee to Michigan and Smith to Arizona State.

Xepoleas is vying to become the first CdM girl to win a CIF Individuals singles title since Brittany Reitz in 2000.

Billingsley and Bick, the Academy League champions, are the first Sage Hill doubles team in program history to make it to the round of 16. They will likely face a seeded team in their first match today.