Corona del Mar Takes Crown

Palos Verdes Peninsula’s six-year stranglehold on the Southern Section Division I girls’ tennis title is over.

It ended quietly and not unexpectedly Monday with an 11-7 loss to Corona del Mar at the Claremont Club. Peninsula had lost to top- seeded Corona del Mar earlier this season by the same score.

Corona del Mar (22-1), which won its first title in eight years, took eight of nine singles sets. The longest came in the first round when Corona del Mar’s No. 2, Ruchika Budhraja, outlasted Elizabeth Lee, 6-4, in two hours.

Dana Hills, which defeated three of the four Division I semifinalists during the regular season, beat Santa Ana Mater Dei, 14-4, to win the Division II championship.

Dana Hills (24-1) won eight of nine doubles sets and six of nine in singles. Senior Summer Tantee, freshman Amberly Tantee and sophomore Kate Romm won singles matches for the Dolphins.

In the regular season, the Dolphins’ only loss to a Division I semifinalist was to eventual champion Corona del Mar, 10-8.

Palm Desert could not match up against top-seeded Harvard-Westlake in singles, but the Aztecs won all nine doubles sets and won the Division III title, 11-7. Palm Desert (22-3) was led by the doubles team of Niki Wayne and Jennifer Baker, which overcame a 5-3 deficit to defeat Kelly Hanker and Leila Nasseri, 7-6 (7-4).

Chaminade’s Monica Andrews and Monica Alonso defeated Andria Lo and Dorothy Lee in a key doubles match that gave Chaminade (15-6) a 10-8 victory over top-seeded San Marino in the Division IV championship match.

Pasadena Poly’s Mary Donaldson and Jenny Ewing won their doubles set, 6-4, which clinched a 10-8 victory over defending-champion Brentwood in the Division V final.