DAILY PILOT HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE WEEK:

Maybe it was just a matter of good timing. Or was it fate? Perhaps it was just some savvy on-campus recruiting.

Whatever the case, the Newport Harbor High girls’ tennis team is just pleased to have added senior Nelly Radeva this year.

The Sailors were already Sunset League-title contenders before Radeva decided to compete with them. The nationally ranked player put them over the top. They’ve won five matches with her in the lineup, including wins over Los Alamitos, Esperanza and Troy. She’s 11-0 in singles and 3-0 in doubles.

Perfect.

That’s similar to her decision to play for the Sailors. For the previous three years, Radeva was too busy with individual tennis tournaments and traveling to make time for Newport Harbor’s tennis team. But this past spring while hitting tennis balls at the school’s courts, Sailors Coach Kristen Case approached her and asked her to play for her team. Don’t worry about the schedule or the practices, just make it when you can, Case told Radeva. During the summer, Radeva made her way on the team, waking up every other morning to run with the girls around Newport Beach. They jogged along Pacific Coast Highway, through the trails of the Back Bay and around Newport Harbor High.

Radeva stayed with the pace, even though it was a summer morning and she could’ve been in bed. She knew she wanted to make her senior year memorable. In a funny way, the running was also cherished.

“We would run for about an hour,” Radeva said. “It was tough, especially in the mornings. But everyone was so committed. No one missed any of the runs.”

That type of dedication is certainly familiar to Radeva. It’s what has helped her become ranked No. 151 in the USTA national rankings for girls’ 18s singles. She’s also ranked 20th in Southern California.

Before she played for the Sailors this month, she competed in two pro tournaments in Bulgaria, her homeland, for about a month and a half. Radeva was born in Bulgaria and lived her first four years there before her family moved to Orange County.

She frequently visits family in Bulgaria, but last month was the first time she competed there. She was not allowed to accept money for winning matches because she has received a full-ride scholarship to play at UC Berkeley next year.

With the credentials Radeva possesses most would think she would demand the No. 1 singles spot at Newport Harbor, or turn away invitations to team dinners because of her busy schedule, or scoff at the mere thought of team camaraderie. That’s not happening here. This Radeva is no diva.

“She has an amazing attitude,” said Case, a former Newport Harbor standout who also played at Cal. “A lot of the girls who are ranked like her might just come in and play and want to get out of there. But she is extremely supportive. She is a huge part of the team. She makes sure she is involved in every aspect of the team.”

Case is also glad to have Radeva because the Sailors are assured three wins in singles every match, Case said. That was certainly the case recently when Radeva rang up six victories, winning 36 of 37 games when Newport Harbor defeated Los Alamitos, Oct. 7, and Esperanza on Tuesday.

The win against Los Al was a bit emotional, as the teams were tied, 9-9, but the Sailors won on games, 83-72. The victory gave the Tars strong reason to believe they can capture the Sunset League championship.

With Radeva they might even go deep in the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs.

“From what I’ve seen, her maturity on the court is by far beyond her high school peers,” Case said. “The way she competes on the court is on a whole other level. That’s a big factor. Her power and pace and anticipation sets her apart from others. Her ability to set up points and close it out is also on a different level.”

While Radeva impresses with her play in her senior year at Newport Harbor, she’s also taking pleasure in being on a team with her friends, especially fellow senior Suzy Strutner. The two have been friends since they were freshmen. Last week they teamed up to win 18 of 19 games in the Sailors’ 17-1 win over Marina. It was the first time Radeva and Strutner had played doubles together.

Playing for Newport Harbor? Yeah, that was the right decision for Radeva.

“I love Kristen and I love the girls,” Radeva said. “We always have a bunch of fun. It’s fun to win the matches and be with this team.”

STEVE VIRGEN may be reached at (714) 966-4616 or by e-mail at steve.virgen@latimes.com.