Youngs were double trouble for opponents

athlete of weekCdM doubles duo, instrumental in the team’s success, reached CIF tournament quarterfinals.Haley Young’s right shoulder bothered her so much, she stopped playing junior singles tournaments. She limited her tennis to playing doubles with her twin sister, Miranda, on the Corona del Mar High girls’ tennis team, playing in pain all season.

With all that, the duo went on to post a 56-3 record and, last week reached the doubles quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Individual Tournament.

Haley and Miranda won three matches to reach the round of 16 on Dec. 1 at the Seal Beach Tennis Center.

The twins defeated Redlands’ Claudia and Paloma Vazquez, 7-5, 7-5, in the round of 16 to move to the quarterfinals. There, they lost to Peninsula’s Tania Mahtani and Akane Kitamura, 6-1, 6-3.

The loss ended a stellar season for Haley and Miranda.

“They went 56-3 against the toughest competition in California: Peninsula, Troy, Laguna Beach -- it was one after the other,” Corona del Mar Coach Brian Ricker said. “They had to play the toughest teams out there.”

Ricker said Haley probably would have played singles for CdM if she hadn’t hurt her right shoulder. But the injury gave her the opportunity to play doubles the whole season with Miranda, and the twins were hard to beat.

“At first, I was tentative about playing with her because we fight a bit,” Haley said “But it’s worked out well. We communicate well.”

“We got so used to playing with each other, we know what each other will do,” Miranda said.

The Youngs’ effectiveness became crucial for the Sea Kings when singles stars Jill Damion (injury) and Ali Walters (personal reasons) couldn’t play.

“They were a rock for us. After we lost two of our top singles players, I wouldn’t believe you if you told me we would be 20-4,” Ricker said. “Haley and Miranda helped keep the team together. They stepped up as leaders of the team -- they were the backbone of our team.”

Both sisters said they felt the team had too much talent to let the loss of two players hurt too much. CdM made it to the CIF Division I team semifinals before losing to nemesis Peninsula.

“I definitely wouldn’t have counted us out,” Haley said. “We were already strong to begin with.”

“I don’t think it affected us that much,” Miranda said. “We had a lot of depth, and we did pretty well.”

A magnetic resonance imaging exam didn’t find the exact cause of Haley’s pain, so she is slated to have exploratory arthroscopic surgery on her right shoulder Monday.

“I’m so fed up with it, I’m hoping it’ll help,” said Haley, who used to count her serve as a strength before the injury. “It’s been almost two years.”

Haley Young

Born: August 7, 1988

Hometown: Newport Beach

Height: 5-foot-1

Weight: 105 pounds

Sport: Tennis

Position: No. 1 doubles

Coach: Brian Ricker

Favorite food: Chinese chicken salad

Favorite movie: “Legally Blonde”

Favorite athletic moment: Reaching the quarterfinals in doubles of the CIF Individuals Tournament.

Week in review: Teamed up with her sister, Miranda, to make it to doubles quarterfinals of the CIF Individuals Tournament.

Daily Pilot

Miranda Young

Born: Aug. 7, 1988

Hometown: Newport Beach

Height: 5-foot-1

Weight: 110 pounds

Sport: Tennis

Position: No. 1 doubles

Coach: Brian Ricker

Favorite food: Caesar salad

Favorite movie: “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion.”

Favorite athletic moment: Just doing as well as we have done this season: reaching the semifinals with my team in CIF, and reaching the quarterfinals with my sister in individuals.”

Week in review: Teamed up with her sister, Haley, to make it all the way to doubles quarterfinals of the CIF Individuals Tournament.

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20051210HO1LS3CTNo Caption20051210ir9e1wknDON LEACH / DAILY PILOT(LA)