Corona del Mar High girls' swimming coach Doug Volding is always a bit apprehensive before the Battle of the Bay swim meet.
He had reason to be nervous Wednesday. Volding found out shortly before the meet began that one of his top club swimmers, freshman Nicole Lin, would be out of action.
Volding wasn't positive why, though he heard she may have hurt her shoulder. For the Sea Kings, who were already missing one of their best sprinters in Sami Pratt (dislocated collarbone), this was obviously cause for concern.
Somehow CdM made it work against rival Newport Harbor. Four days before Easter Sunday, the Sea Kings used an amazing Grace to come out ahead.
Junior Grace Morgan stepped in for Lin on both freestyle relays and swam well. And host CdM pulled away down the stretch, earning its third straight Battle of the Bay victory by a 92-78 score.