GIRLS' TENNIS: CALABASAS DOUBLES UP ON H.-W.

Byline: ERIK BOAL

Special to the Daily News

For the first time since 2004, a member of the Harper family competed in a high school match at Studio City Tennis Center.

Only this time, it wasn't good news for the Harvard-Westlake of Studio City girls' tennis team.

After Amber Harper led the Wolverines to the Mission League title and captured the Southern Section doubles championship with Jennifer Kaswick during her senior year, it was younger sisters Brittney and Tiffany who were leading visiting Calabasas to a 14-4 victory Wednesday over Harvard-Westlake.

For the first time since their sophomore year, both Harpers competed in the Coyotes' doubles lineup, with Brittney joining Dani Stern and Tiffany teaming with Afton Ashforth to sweep their sets as part of Calabasas' eightdoubles victories.

"It was like deja vu all over again," said Calabasas assistant Cleo Harper, father of Amber, Brittney and Tiffany. "That's why it reminds me so much of Amber. We kept Tiffany and Afton together because of their chemistry, but no matter who you put Brittney with, she's successful."

Valerie Chang and Sabrina Gutierrez rebounded from a 7-5 opening-round loss to Cassidy Horn and Nicole Hung to win twice for Calabasas (7-1), which won 11 consecutive sets after Harvard-Westlake (1-6) closed the deficit to 3-2 in the first round.

"We use (our 12-6 loss to Campbell Hall) as a reminder in matches like this," Calabasas coach Kim Kinberg said. "It wasn't the fact that we lost, it was the way we lost. (Cleo and I) won't let them forget it."

The injury-riddled Wolverines had an opportunity to enter the second round with a split, but Sabrina Man-Son-Hing outlasted Sayumi Kobayashi 7-6 (12-10), finally securing the victory on her fourth set point. Man-Son-Hing won her next set, before fatigue set in during a 6-0 loss to Caroline Richman in the final round.

Richman won twice in singles for Harvard-Westlake, but suffered a 6-4 setback in the second round by Florence Hernandez in a battle of two of the area's top left-handers. Hernandez added another win, before she was substituted out in the final round.