Cleveland Put in Its Place by Granada Hills

Granada Hills, which has set the standard in the Northwest Valley Conference the last few seasons, raised it with a 7-0 beating of Cleveland in a battle of unbeaten teams Tuesday at Granada Hills High.

The Highlanders have won the conference title and made it to the City Section 4-A Division semifinals the last four seasons.

Cleveland has never made the playoffs but is enjoying its best season in recentyears.

Jasmin Dao, Granada Hills’ No. 1 singles player, defeated Cleveland’s Modesta Salmeron , 8-3, and the Highlanders (10-0, 6-0 in league play) took a one-match lead on the Cavaliers (8-1, 5-1).

Dao, who took Granada Hills’ only loss in singles play earlier this season, trailed 2-1 and 3-2, but rallied to win the last six games and hand Salmeron, a left-hander, her first loss of the season.

Kelley Takeshita defeated Debbie Yim, 8-1, Caryn Linder beat Leanne Chan, 8-2, and Michal Zeituni topped Alma Mazo, 8-5, in other singles matches.

The Highlanders, who are 39-1 in singles for the season, got a boost from the No. 3 doubles team of Katie Hartnett and Lynn Azali, who blanked Jenna Lee and Randi Elkins, 8-0.

Granada Hills’ doubles teams are 28-2 this season.

Kennedy 4, San Fernando 3--Christina Shin and Stephanie Bedwell defeated Dalia Alcazar and Claudia Perez at No. 1 doubles, 8-6, to break a 3-3 tie and give the Golden Cougars (5-4, 3-3) a Northwest Valley Conference victory at Kennedy.

Elizabeth Cardenas, who usually plays No. 1 doubles for San Fernando (7-3, 3-3), was at No. 3 singles and picked up one of the Tigers’ two singles victories.

Van Nuys 7, Monroe 0--Diana Friedland, Tinna Chung, Teda Arunrut and Lisa Elkan won their singles matches and the Wolves (9-1, 7-0) recorded their ninth consecutive victory in a Valley Pac-8 Conference match at Van Nuys.

Tina Trinh and Debbie Chang surrendered just one game in winning their No. 2 doubles match for Van Nuys, which has not lost since a season-opening defeat to Granada Hills.

Channel Islands 10, Rio Mesa 8--The Raiders swept nine doubles sets and No. 1 singles player Brucil Dorsky defeated Shannon Worthington, 6-2, to move Channel Islands into second place in the Pacific View League at Rio Mesa.

Tiffany Brymer, No. 1 singles player for Rio Mesa, swept three sets without losing a game.

Simi Valley 17, Newbury Park 1--Rebecca Hunau and Stella Chu did not lose a game in three sets for the Pioneers at No. 1 doubles in the Marmonte League victory at Newbury Park.

Hunau and Chu (48-0), have won 14 of their last 15 sets by 6-0 scores in the Pioneers’ last five matches.

Margo O’Donnell, who usually plays doubles, was at No. 2 singles and surrendered only a game in three victories for Simi Valley (14-2, 8-1).

Kamala Kiffe and Erin Zuckman of Newbury Park beat Janeen Vaught and Melissa Hoadley, 6-4, at No. 3 doubles.

BOYS’ WATER POLO

Santa Barbara 12, Ventura 11--Ryan Caswell scored in sudden-death triple overtime, and the No. 3-ranked Dons handed the top-ranked Cougars their first defeat of the season in a Channel League match at Ventura.

Aaron Cox and Chad Caldwell scored for Ventura (21-1, 6-1) in the first overtime, and Mike Derse added the last of his five goals in the second overtime.

GIRLS’ GOLF

Marmonte League match No. 1--Becca Norris shot four-over-par 38 and Sara Pederson shot 41 to help Thousand Oaks shoot 126 and take the lead after the first of four league matches at Westlake Golf Course.

Kristen Smith fired a season-best 44 to pace second-place Moorpark (138).

Agoura, led by Kelly Jung (43) and Meredith Petit (44) is in third at 141. Julie McKenna shot 39 for Newbury Park (150), which is in fourth.

Dos Pueblos 149, La Reina 151, Nordhoff 163, Santa Ynez 198--Tralee O’Hanlon shot a 48 for La Reina, but the Regents (25-2, 16-2) were upset by Dos Pueblos (8-10, 8-10) in a Tri-Valley League match at Los Robles Golf Course in Thousand Oaks.

Madeline Jackson of Dos Pueblos won medalist honors with a 43.