Girls tennis: CdM, Tars earn seeds

Defending CIF Southern Section Division IV girls tennis champion

Corona del Mar opens defense of its crown as the No. 1 seed, while

Newport Harbor, the No. 2 seed in CIF Division II, will attempt to reach

its third straight section final when the playoffs for both divisions

begin Thursday.

CdM (18-0), which recorded its third straight perfect season in the

Pacific Coast League this fall, hosts Bishop Montgomery in the first

round at 2 p.m.

Newport Harbor (11-3), which ran the table to claim the Sea View

League crown, opens at home against the winner of today’s wild-card match

between Santa Fe and Hart.

CdM defeated Calabasas, 13-5, last year, its first season in Division

IV after a section rules change prohibited schools with smaller

enrollments playing in large-enrollment divisions.

If successful Thursday, CdM would meet the Bolsa Grande-Rosemead

winner in Saturday’s second round.

CdM could meet No. 4-seeded Harvard-Westlake in the Nov. 15

semifinals, while No. 2-seeded Palm Desert and No. 3-seeded Calabasas are

potential finals opponents.

Palm Desert, the Desert Valley League champion, defeated Newport

Harbor, 12-6, in last year’s Division II final.

The Sailors road to a third straight final -- they lost to Peninsula

for the Division I crown in 1999 -- includes a possible second-round date

with the Rancho Verde-Walnut winner.

Cerritos is the No. 3 seed, while top-seeded Troy and No. 4-seeded

Righetti highlight the upper portion of a 32-team bracket that includes

13 league champions.

CdM is led by singles standouts Anne Yelsey (PCL champion in 2000),

Brittany Reitz (Southern Section champion last fall) and this year’s PCL

champion, Leslie Damion, as well as reigning PCL doubles champions

Brittany Holland and Taylynn Snyder.

Newport is keyed by two-time Sea View singles champion Natalie

Braverman.

The finals for both divisions are scheduled Nov. 19 at the Claremont

Club.