SOUTHERN SECTION GIRLS’ TENNIS FINALS : Newport Harbor Takes On No. 1 Peninsula Again

Palos Verdes Peninsula, the top-seeded team in the Southern Section Division I girls’ tennis playoffs, meets second-seeded Newport Harbor for the second time this season at 9 a.m. today in the finals at the Claremont Club.

Peninsula (23-0) defeated Newport Harbor, 17-1, this season without Amber Basica, the top-ranked 16-year old in the nation.

Basica and a couple of her nationally ranked teammates might be missing again today because the USTA National Junior Indoors tournaments (16- and 18-year-old divisions) are this week in Houston and Smithfield, Mich. But that shouldn’t matter, since Peninsula’s junior varsity could probably beat most high school teams in the country.

Expect Peninsula Coach Tom Cox to have at least three of his five nationally ranked juniors ready to play. In Peninsula’s three years of existence, it has not lost a high-school tennis match.

Newport Harbor (22-2) has cruised through the playoffs, beating Mira Costa, Camarillo and Santa Barbara San Marcos easily.

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Edison (20-2) was defeated by top-seeded Laguna Beach (21-3) this season, 14-4.

Today’s rematch in the Division II finals 9:30 a.m. at the Claremont Club could be closer if third-seeded Edison, coached by Amy Beard, can continue to get big performances from her Nos. 1 and 2 doubles teams of Michelle Turner and Tami Demaree and Nicole Kojima and Lindsay McAndress. Beard could also use a total of four singles victories from No. 1 Kelly Foster and No. 2 Brooke Lacy.

Laguna Beach is the defending division champion.

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Valencia wasn’t expected to get past the first round in the Division IV playoffs. But after three consecutive upset victories against San Gorgonio, Santa Ynez and Chadwick, Valencia (21-3) is only one victory from the section title. However, the Tigers must defeat top-seeded Pasadena Poly (20-2) in today’s final at noon at the Claremont Club.

Junior Jenny Gonzalez, who has not lost a set this season, leads Valencia. Gonzalez, a transfer from Paraguay, was the difference in the Tigers’ one-game victory over Chadwick in the semifinals. Gonzalez trailed in her game, 40-15, but came back to win the game and give her team the one-point margin of victory.