Torrance’s Title Defense Hits Snag : Preps: Tartar setter loses appeal of suspension as team prepares for tonight’s Division III volleyball playoff opener.

The Torrance High girls’ volleyball team begins defense of its Southern Section Division III title tonight without one of its top players.

Torrance setter Nicole Dispenza was suspended for remainder of the season for her involvement in an off-campus incident last month. Her appeal to be reinstated was denied last week, according to school officials.

The top-seeded Tartars, who won the Pioneer League title, play host to Westminster La Quinta in a 7:30 playoff opener.

Torrance is led by 6-foot middle blocker Vika Malu, who plans to attend Loyola Marymount next year.

In other volleyball playoff openers tonight:

Ocean League champion Mira Costa plays host to Santa Barbara in a Division I match; Bishop Montgomery plays host to Bell Gardens in Division II and Chadwick is home against Covina Northview in Division V.

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After defeating Agoura at the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational last month, Peninsula appears to be the team to beat in Division I girls’ cross-country. Preliminaries begin Saturday morning at Mt. SAC and the finals are Nov. 20.

Molly Mehlberg has led Peninsula thus far, but the runners behind her will determine Peninsula’s fate.

“The key will be the fourth and fifth girls for both teams,” Peninsula Coach Joe Kelly said. “If our fourth and fifth come in before Agoura’s fourth and fifth, we should be OK.”

Kelly hopes Rina Kato, Jamil Clayborn and Jana Kanberg can beat the fourth- and fifth-place runners from Agoura.

The potential for wet weather should not bother Peninsula.

“We could be out there in kayaks and we’d still qualify for the finals,” Kelly said.

The Peninsula girls’ tennis team, which has not lost a match in three years and is the top-seeded team in Division I, will play host to Santa Margarita today. Mira Costa travels to second-seeded Newport Harbor.

North Torrance plays host to Huntington Beach Marina in Division II and Chadwick plays host to Bellflower in Division V.

The second-seeded Dolphins appear headed for an all-Prep League final with rival Pasadena Poly, the top-seeded team.

In Division III water polo today, Ocean League champion Mira Costa meets Placentia Valencia at 4 p.m. at El Camino College and Ocean runner-up Peninsula travels to Trabuco Hills. Chadwick plays the winner of the Bolsa Grande-Whitney game Friday in a Division IV opener.