TENNIS PREVIEW: CHAMINADE SETS SIGHTS ON MORE TITLES.

Byline: Nevin Barich Daily News Staff Writer

Last year, it won the Southern Section Division IV title. The year before, it took the Mission League crown. So what do you think the odds are the Chaminade girls' tennis team achieves both of those feats in 1998?

Well, it depends on how you look at it. The Eagles lost three players from last year, including Monica Andrews - one-half of the Eagles' top doubles team.

On the other hand, they bring back Teresa Galido, who was voted Mission League Player of the Year her first season and, now a senior, has been Chaminade's top singles player for the past three years.

``She's just an amazing athlete,'' Chaminade coach Andy Berenson said of Galido. ``She's a serve-and-volleyer and, for a female singles player, that mix is hard to find on this planet.''

The Eagles also have talent with their second-best singles player, Kinsley Carnahan. Carnahan, who's accumulated plenty of tournament experience in her 10 years of play, could combine with Galido for six points every match.

Top it off with Harvard-Westlake losing its top two singles players, and you not only have Chaminade as a good bet to take the Mission League title but also a favorite to repeat as section champion.

A look at other top teams:

Hart: How can you argue with perfection? Last year, the Indians notched the best record in school history with a 15-0 mark en route to winning the Foothill League. Their flawless run in 1997 ended with a loss to West Torrance in the second round of the Division II playoffs but, with nine returning players, expect the Indians to at least come close to another perfect mark.

The top returning singles player is Jennie Munroe who, as a freshman last year, lost only three of her 51 matches and was ranked in the top 20 among 14-year-olds in Southern California.

Hart's top doubles team also returns. Seniors Penny Letts and Catherine Pucci went 28-4 last year and were the fourth-best doubles duo in the Foothill League.

Harvard-Westlake: The Wolverines took a big hit when they lost their top singles players to graduation. But the defending Mission League champions and last year's Division III runners-up still have enough left, and have plenty coming in, to battle for league and postseason accolades.

Returning to Harvard-Westlake is sophomore Stephanie Berg, whom coach Jennifer Dohr calls ``a phenomenal player.''

Burroughs: The Indians may not have quite enough to overtake Hart for the Foothill League title, but that doesn't mean they don't have enough firepower to make it interesting. Six players return from a team that placed second to Hart in the league and made an appearance in the Division III finals. Among the returners is top singles player Dragana Ognenovska, who's as hard to beat as her name is to pronounce.

Calabasas: The Coyotes have advanced to the playoffs every year this decade despite their long-time independent status, and there's little doubt that Calabasas will advance for a 10th consecutive year.

The team returns seven players, a team that zipped all the way to the Division IV semifinals before being knocked off by eventual champion Chaminade. No. 1 and No. 2 singles players Shervin Seidina and Vanessa Everly lead the way.

Simi Valley: Last year's co-titlists in the Marmonte League, the Pioneers have seven returning players and could be headed for a second straight title in the newly formed Pacific View League. Camarillo, the other co-titlist last year, will also contend. Simi top singles player Mindy Gondrez heads a team that won 20 of its 22 matches in 1997. Gondrez, a senior, was league MVP last year.

Agoura: Poor Stuart Limbert. The Chargers coach should've had his team near the top of this list. But Agoura took a hit harder than any opponent could deliver. Three key players left the team. But Limbert still has singles players Brooke Borisoff and Alyson Tyson.

Oak Park: Coach Shawn Crane thinks this will be Oak Park's best season in a while, and why shouldn't she? The Eagles lost only two seniors from a team that zipped all the way to the Division V finals last year. They return top singles player Mona Aghabarari and the No. 1 doubles pair of Rachel Colson and Vivian Doan.

Van Nuys: The Wolves went 10-0 last year in the Valley Pac-8 Conference, advancing to the City 4-A semifinals. And with the Valley Pac-8 still not very strong, expect Van Nuys to extend its conference winning streak.