Two Rivals Can Both Be No. 1

All season, Royal and Harvard-Westlake highs have battled for the top spot in The Times’ regional rankings.

They’re fighting for something else now, the Southern Section girls’ volleyball championship tonight at Cypress College.

Royal (30-4), top-seeded in Division I-A, is trying to win its first sectional title since 1989. The Highlanders will play second-seeded Huntington Beach Marina (19-1) at 7:30 p.m.

Harvard-Westlake (18-5), top-seeded in Division III-A, faces second-seeded Notre Dame Academy (18-2) at 4:30 p.m.

The Wolverines won sectional titles in 1995 and 1996, but were knocked out in the semifinals last season.

Setter Ashley Julian is not expected to play because of strep throat.

Leslie Meller, who started for more a month while Julian was sidelined with a broken wrist, will start.

Regardless, the Wolverines will have to play well against a team that has a strong attack in the middle.

“We’ve been working on everything they might shove down our throats and then some,” said Coach Jess Quiroz of Harvard-Westlake. “The girls know we’ve worked too hard to throw it all away.”

Courtney Guerra, an outside hitter for Royal, has had a busy couple of weeks that culminated with her commitment to California last week.

The 5-foot-11 Guerra, who set a school record with 41 kills in a match earlier this season, is the main offensive threat for Royal, which defeated Marina in a two-game match at the Orange County tournament in September.

Middle blocker Teresa Russell and outside hitter Toni-Ann Merendino are expected to play key roles for Royal.