It was a journey filled with intense competition and early morning commutes. The Palos Verdes girls tennis team finally achieved the CIF-Southern Section Open Division championship after two days of grueling matches and a Tuesday morning bus ride. PV, as the top seed, emerged victorious by defeating Portola with a score of 10-8, bringing the first Open Division championship to the school. The match took place at the University of Redlands.

Coach's Perspective: Mental Toughness and Team Strength

Sea Kings coach Wade Murphy had high praise for his team. "This is one of the most talented groups I've been around. They possess a level of mental toughness that is truly rare to witness," he said. The CIF-SS finals were initially scheduled for Friday, but rainy weather forced the postponement of several division finals. By the time the rains reached the University of Redlands, Palos Verdes had already established a 3-2 lead. The final was scheduled to be completed on Tuesday morning.The team's doubles teams proved to be their strength, as Murphy emphasized. "They've played amazing doubles all season, and I felt we had a small window of opportunity. Portola is well-coached, and they played with great inspiration," he added. Caroline Chiu and Ava Min won a crucial tiebreaker, while Stella Simpson and Ailen McFearson rallied for an important win. "They (Simpson and McFearson) were down a break in round 2 against Portola's best team but managed to come back and win the match. We believed that could be the turning point for us. McFearson got some excellent returns, and Stella did what she does best all season - she took over, dominating the middle and really stepped up to control the court," Murphy explained.

Singles Standout: Danielle Nikmar's Comeback

PV's No. 1 singles player, Danielle Nikmar, faced a setback on Friday by losing her first match. However, she bounced back on Tuesday and won her two subsequent matches. The match was set to resume in Redlands at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, which meant the team had to leave school at 6:30 a.m. "I had one eye on the clock all night, anticipating the start of the match," Murphy said.

Next Steps: Regional Play and Potential Rematch

Palos Verdes' season will continue on Friday in the CIF SoCal Regional. They will open against San Luis Obispo at 11:15 a.m. at The Claremont Club. If they win, they will play again at 2:15 p.m. The finals, which could potentially be another PV-Portola match, will be played on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at The Claremont Club. This is an exciting time for the team as they look to build on their recent success and continue their journey in the tennis world.