A tennis team that starts the season 0-3 might not seem to have the makings of a CIF champion. But the La Jolla Country Day School Torreys managed to make it happen.

The girls varsity tennis team won the CIF San Diego Section Division I title this month, ending the season 12-5.

“We played some tough teams in the beginning, then we found some chemistry and came together,” said coach Mike Reisinger. “We had some midseason matches where they showed up as a team.”

The hallmark of this year’s group was that “there was a team effort, there wasn’t just one player,” Reisinger said.

During the season, he said, “everyone stepped up at a different time to have a big win here or there. When we won the title, we had to win four matches in a row, and each time, a different player or team stepped up and filled the gap.”

During the CIF playoffs, “we saw a different person step up and play different styles, Reisinger added. We felt balanced, so no matter what the other teams did, our lineup could handle it.”

The first of the four section playoff matches was Oct. 29, when the Torreys eliminated San Diego High School 14-4. The next day, they defeated Point Loma 11-7.

“Point Loma had a strong singles lineup and we have strong singles, but they took five of the possible nine points in singles,” Reisinger said. “That might not look good for us, but … our doubles players came through.”

On Oct. 31, Country Day took on Francis Parker, whom they had played twice already this season.

“They knew the pressure was on to beat them a third time,” Reisinger said, “but our doubles held up” in a 12-6 victory.

The championship round Nov. 2 against Scripps Ranch at the Barnes Tennis Center in Point Loma made for the Torreys tightest win of the tournament, 10-8.

“It could have gone either way and was a close match,” Reisinger said.

Many of the rotations ended in tiebreakers, but the Torreys won the tiebreakers and the match.

Looking to upcoming seasons, Reisinger said “the future is definitely bright,” with several freshmen having gained valuable experience.

“I think we are going to be in great shape, he said. I’m excited about it.”