Southern Section Playoff Previews

VOLLEYBALL

Top Contenders: Harvard-Westlake is seeded No. 1 in Division III-AA and could win a state title. La Reina is seeded No. 3 in Division IV-AA and should advance at least to the semifinals. Oxnard (Division I-AA), Highland (Division I-AA) and Royal (Division I-A) have been playing well lately, but will run into fierce competition. Westlake (Division II-AA) should win at least two matches. Village Christian is seeded No. 3 in Division IV-A. La Canada, seeded No. 4 in Division III-AA, probably will play Harvard-Westlake in the semifinals.

FIRST ROUND, TODAY

Division I-AA

Quartz Hill at Oxnard; Littlerock-Valencia wild-card winner at Upland; Righetti-Camarillo wild-card winner at Arcadia; Los Alamitos-Rancho Cucamonga wild-card winner at Highland; Channel Islands-Bell Gardens wild-card winner at Downey.

Division I-A

Ventura at Mira Costa; Canyon at Royal; Buena at Crescenta Valley; Thousand Oaks at Hart.

Division II-AA

Pasadena at Westlake.

Division V-AA

Glendale Adventist at Riverside Christian; Faith Baptist at Cate; Windward at Archer; Villanova Prep at Viewpoint; AGBU at Laguna Blanca; Bishop Diego at Grace Brethren; CSDR at Lancaster Desert Christian.

Division V-A

Southwestern Academy at Newbury Park Adventist; Pilgrim at Thousand Oaks Hillcrest Christian; First Lutheran at Maricopa; Immanuel Christian at Lancaster Bethel Christian; Highland Hall at Delphi Academy; Ventura County Christian at Santa Maria Valley Christian; Lee Vining at Santa Clarita Christian; Cuyama Valley at Trinity Lutheran.

FIRST ROUND, THURSDAY

Division II-A

Calabasas at Atascadero.

Division III-AA

Gabrielino at Harvard-Westlake; Ridgecrest Burroughs at La Canada; Santa Ynez at Nordhoff.

Division IV-AA

St. Bonaventure at Flintridge Sacred Heart; Louisville at La Reina; Bishop Union at Paraclete.

Division IV-A

Malibu at Providence; Marlborough at Frazier Mountain; Mayfield at Village Christian.

Note: All matches at 7 p.m.

WATER POLO

Top Contenders: Despite a 13-11 record, defending champion La Canada was awarded the No. 1 seeding in Division III. Crescenta Valley (21-4), a finalist last year, is seeded No. 3 in the same division. Royal (24-3), top-seeded in Division IV, appears to have an easy draw through the first two rounds before a possible semifinal matchup against No. 4 Ventura (16-4). Agoura (18-8), which has played a tough schedule, may have its hands full in a first-round game against upstart Oxnard (17-7), the Pacific View League champion. For the first time in several years, Harvard-Westlake did not receive a top-four seeding. The Wolverines (17-5) could face No. 3 Foothill in the quarterfinals and No. 2 Long Beach Wilson in the semifinals.

WILD-CARD ROUND, TODAY

Division III

San Marino at Hoover.

Division VI

Warren at Flintridge Prep.

FIRST ROUND, THURSDAY

Division I

Crespi at El Toro, Dana Hills at Harvard-Westlake.

Division III

Montebello at La Canada; Peninsula at Glendale; Burroughs at Whittier; San Marino-Hoover wild-card winner at Upland; El Segundo at Crescenta Valley.

FIRST ROUND, FRIDAY

Division IV

Carpinteria at Royal; Calabasas at Righetti; Rio Mesa at Ventura; Agoura at Oxnard; Newbury Park at Santa Barbara.

Note: All games at 3:15 p.m.

TENNIS

Top Contenders: Quartz Hill, Canyon, Ventura and Simi Valley could do well in Division II. Agoura was a surprise semifinalist in Division III last season, and could run into Marmonte League rival Westlake in that round this time--if Foothill League champion Burbank doesn’t first knock off the Warriors. Unbeaten and No. 2-seeded Calabasas will begin defense of its Division IV title. Mission League champion Harvard-Westlake, which won the Division III title last season but had to move down based on enrollment, could also be in the mix if the Wolverines maintain a full lineup for the playoffs. Chaminade, second in the Mission League, has a chance for its best showing in years. Campbell Hall is the strongest of the Division V teams from the region.

WILD-CARD ROUND, TODAY

Division I

San Gabriel at Hoover; Oxnard at Valencia.

Division II

Palmdale at Buena.

FIRST ROUND, WEDNESDAY

Division I

San Gabriel-Hoover winner at Peninsula; Arroyo Grande at Camarillo; Oxnard-Valencia winner at Righetti; Channel Islands at Long Beach Wilson.

Division II

Canyon at Beverly Hills; Palmdale-Buena at Mira Costa; Ventura at Quartz Hill; California-Foothill winner at Crescenta Valley; Lancaster at Mark Keppel; Santa Fe at Simi Valley.

Division III

Los Altos at Burbank; Rosemead at Westlake; Agoura at Paso Robles.

Division IV

Oak Park at Chaminade; Newbury Park at Nordhoff; La Canada at Harvard-Westlake; Louisville at Calabasas.

Division V

Buckley at Kern Valley; La Reina at Pasadena Poly; Village Christian vs. St. Bonaventure at Ventura College; Campbell Hall, bye

Note: All matches at 2 p.m.