THE TIMES’ RANKINGS

A look at the preseason top 10 boys’ tennis teams in the Southland:

1. Irvine University (18-7, SS-Div. II)

Deep and talented Trojans should make their fifth consecutive appearance in the Southern Section Division II final match.

2. Servite (24-0, SS-Div. IV)

Notre Dame-bound Patrick Buchanan, the Southern Section singles runner-up, is back, along with six others from last season’s team that won the Division IV title.

3. Corona del Mar (23-0, SS-Div. V)

Sea Kings are relatively young, but brothers Cameron and Carsten Ball will give opponents double trouble in singles play.

4. Los Alamitos (21-2, SS-Div. II)

Kevin McQuaid and Co. won the Division I title last season. The Griffins will put an 18-match winning streak on the line in opener against Corona del Mar on Thursday.

5. Harvard-Westlake (17-5, Div. V)

Jesse Ferlianto tops a strong singles lineup, and Wolverines might be deeper in doubles, thanks to addition of Josh Lederman, who won 2000 SCTA boys’ 14’s sectional doubles title, and three top freshmen.

6. Woodbridge (19-6, SS-Div. III)

Brett Van Linge, bound for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, leads last season’s Division II runner-up. The Warriors will play in Division III this season.

7. Westlake (19-1, SS-Div. III)

The Warriors have been in five consecutive championship matches, have seven players back from last season’s Division III runner-up team, adding freshman Ben Steenland and junior transfer Ben Pearson.

8. Esperanza (18-4, SS-Div. I)

The Aztecs, who compete in the Sunset League with Los Alamitos, return eight of their nine players from last season’s team that reached the Division I quarterfinals.

9. Hoover (11-4, SS-Div. I)

Excitement abounds with arrival of freshman Sam Tadevosian, the SCTA boys’ 14 sectional runner-up, sophomores Hakop Tadevosian and Sergy Vagramian, and Dylan Kim, a junior from Korea.

10. Troy (24-4, SS-Div. II)

Jeffrey Das and five others return from last season’s team that advanced to the Division II semifinals, and they are joined by several young, talented players.