Previews of the CIF-SS girls tennis semifinals

CIF-SS GIRLS TENNIS SEMIFINALS

All matches Thursday, 2 p.m.

DIVISION 1

No. 1 Campbell Hall (Alpha League winner) at No. 4 University (Pacific Coast League winner)

Road to the semis: Campbell Hall def. Calabasas, 16-2; def. Santa Margarita, 16-2; def. San Clemente, 15-3. University def. JSerra, 16-2; def. Tesoro, 13-5; Thousand Oaks, 11-7.

Outlook: University, the county's second-ranked team, already holds a win over Campbell Hall this season, but the Vikings were missing one of their top players, Zoe Katz, in that match because of a wrist injury. University's performance in doubles has been a strength for the team and could be a difference maker in the semifinal. Senior Kyra Scott and freshman Yuki Asami will have to win some tough sets in singles for Uni to advance to the finals.

No. 2 Peninsula (Bay League winner) at No. 3 Dana Hills (South Coast League winner)

Road to the semis: Peninsula def. Capistrano Valley, 12-6; def. Laguna Beach, 11-1 (rain); def. Harvard-Westlake, 16-2. Dana Hills def. Simi Valley, 16-2; def. Mater Dei, 16-2; def. Palm Desert, 12-6.

Outlook: Distractions? What distractions? Dana Hills, the top-ranked team in Orange County for the majority of the season, has seen some turmoil lately with the eligibility problems of junior Taylor Nederlander. Nederlander is out of the picture for the Dolphins, but they still have plenty of firepower. Junior Alyssa Smith didn't play in the Dolphins' only loss this season. That loss just happened to come at the hands of a very balanced Peninsula team that coasted through the past two rounds of the CIF-SS tournament. Dana Hills will need big days from Smith, junior Jessica Perez and junior Cassidy Spearman for it to advance.

DIVISION 2

No. 4 El Dorado (Century League winner) at No. 1 Santa Barbara (Channel League winner)

Road to the semis: Santa Barbara def. Villa Park, 17-2; def. Cypress, 13-4 (rain); def. Los Alamitos, 14-4. El Dorado def. St. Lucy's, 14-4; def. Crescenta Valley, 12-6; def. Diamond Bar, 12-6.

Outlook: El Dorado got over a hump Tuesday, advancing to the semifinals after stumbling in the quarters the past few seasons. Santa Barbara, a team that has knocked the Hawks out of the playoffs in the past, is waiting for them in the semifinals. El Dorado has solid senior leadership, and the experienced Hawks can give teams trouble if all three Etchegaray sisters are playing well. El Dorado also has a tough No. 1 doubles team, but everyone will need to play well to get Coach John Cyrus' team into the finals.

No. 3 Newport Harbor (Sunset League winner) at No. 2 San Marino (Rio Hondo League winner)

Road to the semis: Newport Harbor def. Chaparral, 18-0; def. Flintridge Prep, 12-6; def. Arcadia, 14-4. San Marino def. Trabuco Hills, 16-2; def. Chadwick, 13-5; def. Santa Monica, 11-5.

Outlook: Newport Harbor seems to be playing its best tennis of the season, as the Sailors have continued to be one of the most reliably consistent teams around. Devoid of any real mega-stars, Newport Harbor is as balanced as any team in Division 2. Look for Newport Harbor to rely on Mindy Wheeler, Megan Bathen, Natalie Cernius, Annie Radeva and Blake Bakkila in the match against last year's Division 2 champs.

DIVISION 3

No. 4 Sage Hill (Academy League No. 2) at No. 1 West Ranch (Foothill League winner)

Road to the semis: Sage Hill def. Yucaipa, 17-1; def. San Gabriel, 15-3; def. Arroyo Grande, 10-8. West Ranch def. Righetti, 16-2; def. Santiago of Corona, 10-8; def. Wilson of Long Beach, 9-9 (76-69).

Outlook: Sage Hill, the only non-league champion still playing in any division, is hoping for a return to the Division 3 championship, where the team fell to St. Margaret's in 2010. To get there, Sage will have to get past a powerful West Ranch team that has been challenged in the last two rounds. Sage Hill will rely on solid play from a balanced roster in what is almost certain to be a close match.

No. 3 Malibu (Tri-Valley League winner) at No. 2 St. Margaret's (Academy League winner)

Road to the semis: Malibu def. Adolfo Camarillo, 13-5; def. San Luis Obispo, 10-8; def. Valencia of Valencia, 9-9 (74-58). St. Margaret's def. Marlborough, 13-5; def. Los Osos, 11-7; def. Hart, 11-7.

Outlook: St. Margaret's quest for a perfect season is still alive and kicking with the Tartans in a position to return to the CIF-SS finals. Led by senior Tiffany Cheng and junior Zoe Odekerk, St. Margaret's has the star power necessary to hoist the title at the end of the season, provided it can get by a Malibu team that fought through two tough rounds to reach the semis.