Chaminade Wins Championship; Harvard-Westlake Loses in Final : Girls’ tennis: Wolverine singles players can’t offset lack of double productivity in 11-7 loss.

There is little argument that Harvard-Westlake High has the best group of singles players in the region.

Senior Marissa Irvin, who played for the Wolverines for the first time this year, is one of the top high school-age players in the nation and hasn’t lost more than two games in any set this season. Senior Lindsy Forbess played No. 1 singles for the Wolverines last year and this season when Irvin couldn’t play. And freshman Stephanie Berg has occasionally played ahead of Forbess.

But all the singles sets--and points--the Wolverines (23-3) could muster against Palm Desert (22-3) in the Southern Section Division III championship wasn’t enough. The Aztecs won all nine doubles sets and defeated top-seeded Harvard-Westlake, 11-7, Monday at the Claremont Club.

Irvin, Forbess and Berg did their part, winning seven of nine singles sets, but could do little else except encourage and give pep talks to their doubles teammates.

The top-seeded Wolverines came close to winning sets in doubles twice. In the first rotation, Kelly Hanker and Leila Nasseri held a 5-3 lead over Niki Wayne and Jennifer Baker at No. 3 doubles, but lost 7-6, (7-4).

Then Harvard-Westlake’s No. 2 doubles team of Chelsea Dillon and Tricia Hom lost to Palm Desert’s No. 1 team, Melissa Markovsky and Jennie Fraser, 7-5.

“Our [plan] was to just get a point or two in doubles,” said Wolverine Coach Jennifer Dohr. “We got seven in singles. You can’t ask any more than that. That would be unfair.”

Despite nursing a calf injury, Irvin showed why she is the dominant player in the region, losing one game in three sets. In one game against Palm Desert No. 1 Laurie Ching, Irvin lost the opening point of the game, then fired four consecutive aces.

The Wolverines were playing without Chelsea Heller, one of Harvard-Westlake’s top doubles players. Heller missed the entire playoffs due to an allergic reaction to penicillin.