CHASING IT DOWN—Simi Valley High’s Tianna Wilson hits a return during a non-league match Wednesday afternoon. The Coyotes are the favorites again until someone can knock off the champs.

Calabasas High’s girls’ tennis team has been the strongest squad since joining the Marmonte League in 2002, but other schools are getting closer to toppling the Coyotes.

“Over the last three or four years, I’ve seen the gap between talent on our team and our league close,” Calabasas head coach Cleo Harper said. “It’s not like one team just will be running off with everything now.

“That gap, it’s getting closer every year. It gets tougher for us at Calabasas to stay on top.”

The top four Marmonte teams earn automatic postseason berths, and a fifth-place squad could squeeze in if it finishes above .500.

Most schools in the league will jockey for playoff positioning, including Calabasas, Westlake, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley and Moorpark.

Newbury Park, Royal and Agoura have the potential to make upset runs.

Teams will know more about each other when league play begins Tuesday.

Calabasas Coyotes

The Coyotes will take the good with the bad.

They welcome a strong group of freshmen. At the same time, Calabasas is coping with injuries to several key players.

Junior Emily Weisburg, the league’s reigning player of the year, will alternate at No. 1 singles with another star, senior Florence Hernandez.

Junior Krystal Hansard is another prominent singles player.

Harper is still shuffling his lineup to offset all the injuries.

Senior Ashley Warner, junior Lisa Levin and freshman Moriah Staff provide depth for the Coyotes at singles. Levin and Warner could see some court time in doubles matches.

Alexa Gelbard, Tatyana Goldring and Rachel Blankstein should contribute in doubles.

Harper, in his sixth season overall and third as head coach, said he’s looking forward to developing freshmen to further buttress the program the next two or three seasons.

For now, the Coyotes have a league title to defend.

“We don’t talk about winning and losing,” Harper said. “We talk about how we develop them as players.”

Westlake Warriors

Connie Flanderka has coached Westlake girls’ tennis since the school’s inception 32 years ago.

With 16 league championships and four section titles at WHS, Flanderka hopes this is the year the Warriors can seize the Marmonte from Calabasas.

“I’m looking forward to us making the playoffs and hopefully bringing back a league championship to Westlake,” the coach said.

The Warriors embrace one of the strongest singles players in the league, freshman Sivan Krems.

“She’s probably the best player in the league,” Thousand Oaks head coach Dave Assorson said of Krems.

Sarah Contrata, another freshman, will also contribute in singles for Westlake.

Sophomore Chaya Boks and senior Tiffany Loh are Westlake’s top returning singles players. Boks could also help at doubles.

Alexandra Bass, a senior, will likely be part of a top doubles tandem. Seniors Roseann Zhong and Noelle Starr are quality athletes.

Flanderka is optimistic because the Warriors have depth, and last season’s junior varsity squad shared a Marmonte crown with Calabasas.

Simi Valley Pioneers

Simi does more with less.

Under 13-year head coach Rob Wickwire, SVHS prides itself on playing unconventional tennis.

“We base everything on consistency,” Wickwire said. “Our goal is to make the other team make the first mistake.”

The Pioneers are feeling good, especially since the Wilson sisters are healthy.

Tianna and Linsey Wilson are among the top players in the Marmonte. Linsey, a sophomore, endured a myriad of injuries throughout 2008. Tianna, the team’s No. 1 singles player, is a senior at the top of her class in grade-point average, Wickwire said.

Junior Katie Crilley and senior Ashley Hayes form Simi Valley’s No. 1 doubles twosome.

Thousand Oaks Lancers

The Lancers graduated several solid players, but they remain competitive and playoff-hungry.

“I think we have a chance,” Assorson said. “I would like to see us be very competitive. We definitely want to make the playoffs.”

Senior Tara Erb has been an All-Marmonte singles player since she was a freshman, and she figures to anchor TOHS again.

Junior Veronica Lin is an outstanding contributor at singles or doubles.

Kathryn Stueckle was part of a first-team All-Marmonte doubles squad last year with Hilary Koenig, who graduated. Stueckle and Lin will likely join forces at No. 1 doubles.

Katy Scheck and Christina Hempill will be T.O.’s No. 2 doubles pairing. As a freshman, Scheck was a singles standout.

Alysse King and Jenni Jacobs currently form the third doubles team, but four other Lancers could get the job done, Assorson said.

The coach said a pair of freshmen will bolster the lineup. Alison Ho and Melissa Baker are expected to contribute at singles.

Moorpark Musketeers

The Musketeers made the playoffs last year. They hope to join the party again.

Moorpark welcomes back sophomore Kristina Eisenbrand at No. 1 singles. As a freshman, Eisenbrand reached the Marmonte League tournament finals at singles.

Senior captains Keiko McNamara and Chrissy Jacobs will likely form a No. 1 doubles tandem. McNamara could also contribute at singles.

Head coach Sandy Jacobs hopes her captains will relish stepping up this season.

“It will be fun to see how they develop as leaders,” the coach said.

Freshman Alyssa Bird will also contribute for MHS.

Coach Jacobs said Moorpark is balanced with seniors and underclassmen, although she isn’t sure where Moorpark fits into the final league standings.

Newbury Park Panthers The Panthers hope a balanced roster led by a strong No. 1 singles player will net a postseason berth.

“My goals are to keep improving and get these girls thinking the right way, worrying more about their improvement and shot selection than the outcome,” head coach Harvey Mardyks said.

“The focal point of the program focuses on the process.”

Senior Sabrina Guttierez is Newbury Park’s No. 1 singles standout. After Guttierez, the Panthers have balance with six other seniors, six juniors, four sophomores and six freshmen.

Rebecca Kennedy and Fiona Bush form a top doubles duo. Melinda Weilage and Larisa Owechko are a talented tandem.

Brittany Brown, a potential No. 2 singles starter, fractured a vertebra in her back this offseason and is likely out for the year, the coach said. Mardyks said he hopes Brown can return in 2010.

Royal Highlanders

Head coach Roger Hixon has taken the reins at Royal.

Hixon will have plenty of help from Jane Forrester, who guided the team for 23 seasons before retiring last year.

“Jane Forrester approached me about taking the job,” Hixon said. “She and her husband (Bill) have been helping me out there at every practice. It’s like having two extra coaches. She loves the girls, and she loves the game of tennis. It has made the transition very nice.”

Hixon also coaches the boys’ tennis team and will begin his fourth season next spring. He will also lead the boys’ soccer froshsoph squad this winter.

Claire Palmer, a junior, is expected to be the Highlanders’ top singles player.

Seniors Amanda Baltazar and Anne Carman form the No. 1 doubles pair. Senior Lily Bao and junior Beth Spielman play No. 2 doubles.

Although Hixon is unfamiliar with his opponents, he thinks the Highlanders can compete in the rugged Marmonte.

“My expectations are that I hope we can improve upon last year,” he said. “I don’t even know the scores from last year. If we can win a couple league matches, that’s improvement.”

Agoura Chargers

Susi Cook hopes she can bring stability to the Chargers. Last year, Cook was the program’s fourth coach in four years.

Now, in her second season at the helm, Cook said she has a deep, competitive varsity team. The coach said 35 players tried out for 24 roster spots.

“This team hasn’t been to the CIF playoffs in some years,” Cook said. “I feel pretty confident about going to CIF this year. . . . I feel very good about the team.”

The Chargers welcome transfers from two solid programs.

Shelby Sinoway, a junior, arrived at Agoura via Chaminade. Sophomore Katie Izenstark, formerly of Calabasas, plays doubles.

Sophomore Kelly Abas, junior Aarushi Arenja and Sinoway are the Chargers’ top three singles players, Cook said.