A Close Call on the Peninsula : Any of the 4 Girls’ Tennis Teams Could Emerge as a Champion

The CIF Southern Section ranks girls high school tennis in four divisions, from 1-A through 4-A. Perhaps they should add a fifth: the Palos Verdes Peninsula division.

All four high schools on the Hill--Palos Verdes, Miraleste, Chadwick and Rolling Hills--are ranked in the top 10 of their respective divisions and are located within a 10-mile radius.

In the 4-A division, Miraleste is No. 2, Palos Verdes is No. 3 and Rolling Hills is No. 6. Chadwick is ranked third in the 1-A, but just beat No. 1 Mayfield on Tuesday.

The Dolphins’ victory over Mayfield “should shoot us up to No. 1,” Coach Carolyn Leach said.

The Chadwick netters, now 5-0 in the Prep League and 7-0 overall, are a mix of all classes and could be the best team at the school since Leach resurrected the program in 1978. Last year Chadwick lost in the CIF semifinals to Corona, but this year the Dolphins may win the championship.

Senior Andrea Ummel is the team’s No. 1 singles player, followed by freshman Joanna Felton, and sophomore Patty Cho. The top doubles team is Yvette Green and Ivy Mollenkamp. Partners Brett Harman and Roxanne Davidovitz, Wendy Ridder and Sarah Ummel (Andrea’s sister) round out the squad.

“We have more depth this year than ever before,” Leach said. “Usually we have one or two outstanding players, (such as individual CIF champs Melissa Gurney and sister Cinda, but this is my best overall team.”

While Chadwick fights to become the 1-A champ, they will not face 4-A partners Palos Verdes, Miraleste and Rolling Hills. Palos Verdes beat Bay League foe Rolling Hills 14-4 Wednesday but will face stiffer competition Thursday when they face powerful Miraleste. The winner of that match could not only become Queen of the Hill, but also the CIF champion.

Recently, the series has gone to Coach Jim Hanson and his Marauders. Miraleste has beaten Palos Verdes six matches in a row. Palos Verdes Coach Kathy Ross has never beaten Miraleste. “They are sort of my nemesis,” Ross said.

The Marauders are sort of everybody’s nemesis. They have appeared in the CIF finals each of the last eight years, winning it four times, most recently in 1987. They played Corona Del Mar to a 9-9 tie in sets in last year’s final but lost the title by five games. Corona Del Mar is currently the No. 1-ranked team in the 4-A. In 1982 ‘84, and ‘86, Miraleste beat Palos Verdes in the CIF championship. Palos Verdes returned the favor in ‘85, beating Miraleste for its last CIF championship.

“We’re lucky to have so many kids from a tennis background. Most of them belong to clubs and have been playing for a while,” Hanson said. His current team is 6-0, “but hasn’t been tested.” Miraleste beat No. 5-ranked Estancia 15-3.

Like Chadwick, Miraleste has no superstars but is deep. The top singles player is senior Erica Hansen. Other returning starters are Erica’s sister Christa and Laura Bak-Boychuk, both juniors. Kristin Keller and team captain Andrea Ballard form the top doubles team, while sophomores Darcy Sepko and Sonia Lee “have improved immensely.”

Although Miraleste has breezed through its early schedule, Palos Verdes stumbled in its very first match against Corona Del Mar. It was a battle of Sea Kings as the Corona Del Marversion beat Palos Verdes. “My kids were a complete mess,” Ross said. “They were so nervous and Corona Del Mar had already played six or seven matches.”

Ross hasn’t let the loss affect her team. She didn’t change the lineup or have her team play against each other in challenge matches. “I set the lineup, I think they should get mad at me and not at each other,” Ross said.

The Sea Kings won the CIF championship in 1983 and ‘85, but have not appeared in the finals since 1986, when they lost to Miraleste. In ‘88, Palos Verdes lost to Corona Del Mar in the semifinals.

Next Thursday’s match against Miraleste may portend Palos Verdes’ outcome this year. If the Sea Kings win, and Miraleste goes on to beat No. 1 Corona Del Mar in an Oct. 25 match, they will have a realistic chance at the title.

Ross said she will wait until the playoffs to rank anybody. “The rankings are based on last year, they really don’t mean anything,” she said.

Ross says she has no No. 1 player, but top players include senior Sheila Moore and juniors Melanie Fountain, Paully Hackathorn and Lorren Fotesta.

Most teams with 6-3 records and a No. 6 ranking would consider themselves doing very well, but at Rolling Hills, Coach Tom Cox says his team “is hanging tough.” All three losses have been to ranked opponents: Palos Verdes, Edison, and San Marino.

It doesn’t get easier for the Titans either. They must play Palos Verdes again, Miraleste twice and Corona Del Mar. They have already beaten Top 10-ranked Beverly Hills and Santa Barbara.

“I scheduled some horrendous opponents,” Cox said, meaning extremely competitive teams. “But so far I’ve been pleasantly surprised. You never know what’s going to happen.”

If the Titans have it tough this year, the future is promising. Rolling Hills starts four freshmen at times, and has only two seniors on the team, Saki Homma and captain Shay Phillips.

The No. 1 player is freshman Stephanie Lansdorf, followed by junior Mia Ho and freshman Michelle Tojiri. Sophomore doubles partners Cindy Siu and Jenny Lynn took two out of three sets against Palos Verdes. Freshman Laura Chodzko and sophomore Jeannette Virtue are the No. 2 doubles team, and sophomore Yuri Miyata and freshman Robin Feuer are No. 3.

With a month to go in the regular season and then the playoffs, Cox said what the other three coaches on the Hill could say, decribing the rest of their seasons: “I’m excited, we control our own destiny.”