After two rounds, it was clear that the CIF Southern Section Division 4 women’s tennis final was going to be played by razor-thin margins.
Joel Perttula gathered his team for a meeting.
“Fight for every game,” the Oaks Christian coach reminded his team. “Every game will count.”
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But even Perttula wasn’t ready for how close the match would be.
The Marmonte League final of Oaks Christian and Agoura was tied 9-9 in sets and 72-72 in matches after regulation on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at the University of Redlands.
“That in itself was a miracle,” Perttula said. “It just doesn’t happen.”
Oaks Christian ultimately prevailed 10-8 in a rare round-robin tiebreaker to win the program’s first sectional title.
The Oaks Christian women’s tennis team poses for a photo with the championship plaque after defeating Agoura in the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 final match at the University of Redlands on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025.
After surviving a match point, the No. 2 doubles team of junior Hannah Huang and junior Elise Rankin delivered the deciding point for the Lions.
“We rushed the court,” Perttula said. “It was pretty amazing.”
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Oaks Christian junior Ellie Lin swept the No. 1 singles spot, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2, and swept all three of her round-robin tiebreakers, 7-5, 7-1, 7-5.
“Ellie really carried us,” Perttula said.
Veorah Feddanich, Lyla Haiat and Alisa Tran each won two of three singles sets while Agoura won six of nine singles sets.
“It was a tough moment,” Agoura coach Mariana Sullivan said. “We were very close.”
It was the closest CIF-SS final in women’s tennis history. According to the CIF-SS record book, this was the first time a round-robin tiebreaker was necessary in a women’s tennis final.
The Agoura women’s tennis team poses with their championship runner-up plaque after losing to Oaks Christian in the CIF Southern Section Division 4 final match at the University of Redlands on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025.
Brentwood beat San Marino 12-6 in a round-robin tiebreaker after a 9-9, 75-75 tie in the 2009 Division II men’s tennis final.
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Agoura led 7-5 after the second round of play and got closer when the No. 2 doubles team of Nola Rose and Grace Hennessey earned a 6-4 victory over the No. 1 Lions team.
“We were ready,” Sullivan said. “We were so prepared. It really could have gone either way.”
After regulation, neither team was in a good mood.
“It was a little demoralizing,” Sullivan said. “We had a great advantage at the end of the second round.”
Perttula said: “The girls felt like we lost.”
The score of 72-72 in the matches allowed both teams to return to play, with a series of 18 round-robin tiebreakers.
“When this news came, I felt like we had a second chance,” Perttula said. “It created a sign of life.”
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Fourth-seeded Oaks Christian (13-6) beat La Serna, San Dimas, Dana Hills and Pasadena Poly to reach its first sectional final.
Also reaching its first sectional final, Agoura (13-9-1) defeated West Torrance, Geffen Academy, Marymount and Torrance.
But the Marmonte League’s third- and fourth-placed teams were forced to wait five days for their final, with rain delaying the match three times.
“It was really difficult,” Sullivan said. “I kept thinking, ‘We’re all in this together.’ »
Calabasas wins Division 2 title
Doubles teams propelled the Calabasas High girls’ tennis team to a long-awaited CIF-SS championship on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at the University of Redlands.
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The doubles teams of Giana Mucci-Emma Penev and Charli Kaaya-Sophia Loizu swept as the Coyotes won eight of nine doubles sets in a 12-6 victory over Harvard-Westlake in the CIF-SS Division 2 final.
The Calabasas High girls’ tennis team poses for a photo with the championship plaque after defeating Harvard-Westlake in the CIF Southern Section Division 2 final match at the University of Redlands on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025.
Alena Koltsova swept three sets at No. 1 singles as the Marmonte League champions won their sixth sectional title and first since the 2004 Division 1 title.
The Coyotes had lost the finals in the previous two seasons, falling in Division 2 to Laguna Beach 10-8 in 2023 and in Division 1 to Westlake 10-8 in 2024.
“The third time was the charm,” Calabasas coach Chriss Rodriguez said. “That made it even more special.”
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Mucci delivered an ace on the deciding point as Mucci-Penev came back from 3-0 down to provide the decisive moment.
“Giana is the glue of the team,” Rodriguez said. “She’s been a team player since her freshman year. She stood out as a senior for her teamwork. She’s undefeated for a reason.”
Rodriguez said the five-day weather delay “prolonged that finish line feeling.”
“It was tough,” Rodriguez said. “We obviously couldn’t train because of the rain and Alena came down with a cold, so she wasn’t 100%.”
Four-seeded Calabasas (18-1) defeated top-seeded Temecula Valley, Tesoro, Chadwick and Irvine-Woodbridge en route to the program’s 10th sectional final.
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Joe Curley is a staff writer for The Star. He can be reached at [email protected]. For more coverage, follow @vcspreps on Twitter/X, Instagram/Threads, Facebook and Bluesky.
This article was originally published on Ventura County Star: Oaks Christian defeats Agoura in closest tennis final in CIF-SS history
