APTOS >> After earning a titles sweep at the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League Girls Tennis Championships last season, Aptos High earned a split decision in this year’s finals at Imperial Courts Tennis Club on Wednesday.

Mariners freshman Kiana Safari defeated senior teammate Aviana Andrews 6-0, 6-1 for the singles title, which extended the team’s streak of singles champs to three.

“It means a lot to me,” said Safari, on winning the title. “Everyone in the tournament here tried really, really hard to get here. Going to the finals and winning it shows that all the hard work I’ve put in.”

Scotts Valley seniors Sofia Niklaus and Erin Szymanski defeated Aptos juniors Isabella Calderon and Coral Collins 6-3, 6-1 for the doubles title.

Both newly crowned champs advanced to the Central Coast Section Individual Tennis Championships at Bay Club Courtside in Los Gatos. The singles tournament begins Nov. 18 at noon and the doubles tournament starts a day later at noon. The finals for both tournaments takes place Nov. 20 at noon.

Safari, who just turned 14, became the third member of her family to win a SCCAL singles title. Her oldest brother, Kourosh, won titles in 20016 and ’17, and another brother, Koosha, who graduated last spring, was crowned champion in ’21, ’23 and ’24.

“Both of them know the competition is really, really fierce,” Safari said. “They even told me, ‘You’re going to be playing against like 18-year-olds, so go there and try your best.’ “

Safari said she began playing as a 3-year-old and has had some sessions against her brothers over the years. The boys made sure to never let their little sister win.

Safari had similar success in league matches this season. She went 7-0 in the regular season and earned three more wins in the SCCAL Tournament. She lost just two games in three straight-set victories to earn the title.

Even though Andrews and Safari are teammates, they rarely played each other during practice. Safari often practiced with one of her individual coaches, Ian Chadwell at La Madrona Athletic Club, or elsewhere.

During league matches, Safari played No. 1 singles and Andrews, who took up the sport as a freshman and rapidly climbed the depth chart over the past three seasons, played No. 2 singles as a senior and went 10-0 in league matches.

Safari prides herself on her forehand and her improved serve. She said she had good shot placement in the final, but had trouble hitting winners because Andrews covered so much ground and was relentless in hitting return shots.

“She’s just really consistent,” Andrews said Safari. “She know how to play her game and not submit `to the other player, which I’m working on.”

Andrews said she did her best to be aggressive as she attempted to return as many balls as she could and keep Safari on the run.

Andrews hopes to attend either Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo or UC Santa Barbara next year, and is considering playing club tennis.

“I definitely want to keep on playing, because I like the routine,” said Andrews, who also plays lacrosse for the Mariners and is an avid longboard surfer and snowboarder.

Niklaus, a standout lacrosse player who committed to NCAA Division III Colorado College in Colorado Springs in July, played No. 2 singles for the Falcons this season, and Szymanski played No. 3.

It was their second straight year playing together in the SCCAL Tournament. They lost to Aptos’ Collins and Holly Hegna 6-4, 7-5 in last year’s final.

Niklaus and Szymanski practiced together in recent weeks and they were elated to find success. The duo hugged nearly the baseline after securing their latest victory.

“We have good chemistry,” Szymanski said.

Both served well and shined at the net. They said they worked on poaching and reaped the benefits in the final. They also communicated well.

“This match we didn’t really have to do a ton of switches,” Niklaus said. “We didn’t have to communicate a ton, verbally, but we do our signs and we know what that is. I think that one of the best things we did, we never had a point where we didn’t communicate so we missed a ball. One of us was going for the ball every time, which I think is good, because sometimes we’ll let a shot go down the middle and go like, ‘Wait, I thought you were going to get that.’ “

The win advanced Niklaus to the CCS Doubles Tournament for a second time in three seasons. She advanced as the SCCAL champion with teammate Emma Dyc-O’Neal in 2022.