Nick Varvais

Tennis has given UC Irvine freshman Nickole Kabe boundaries, some beyond the court. Out. Alvar Kabe, her father, called recently to ask about Kabe's evening at a dance club. "There have been sightings," Kabe said. "Dad called and said that my sister's friend had seen me at a Fullerton club. He asked, 'Are you studying?' " In. What about those three hours at the library last week? "Dad would be proud of me," Kabe said. "Three hours at the library studying. It all balances out.

Chase Exon and Taylor Dent are just starting their promising careers, but after watching their duel on Friday at Los Caballeros Sports Village, you get the feeling the two heavy-hitters could be facing each other for a long time. Dent outslugged and outplayed Exon in the quarterfinals of the boys' 16s at the Southern California Junior Sectionals to take this chapter of the two-year-old rivalry, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).

Tennis has made life quite a ride for Bob and Mike Bryan of Camarillo. The touring twins have carried their rackets across the United States and into Japan for national and international tournaments. Thursday they arrived in the most exciting place they've ever seen: Kalamazoo, Mich. The Bryans, 15 and identical, are playing their fifth consecutive USTA National Juniors tournament, which begins there Saturday. It seems like every time the 5-foot-5 brothers look up, they discover a new skyline.

When Nick Varvais received an invitation to play for the Southern California Tennis Assn. in a national tournament, he savored the opportunity to help defend the team's two-year championship. Varvais, 15, of Simi Valley, was one of six 18-and-under players to play for the SCTA team two weeks ago in Columbia, S.C. The team won its third intersectional title, but Varvais played a minor role. He took part in two doubles matches and a few singles matches that didn't count toward the team score.

Darren Joe's heart aches more than his lower back these days. This is good news for Joe, a sophomore at Westlake High who was the Marmonte League's second-best singles player. The bad news is the unusual stress fracture near the base of his spine will keep him from competing in next week's Southern California Junior Sectional championships at the Los Caballeros Sports Village in Fountain Valley.

Most teenage boys hate being scolded, especially in front of friends. But when an umpire cited Brandon Fallon for unsportsmanlike conduct Friday in front of his Dana Hills High teammates, Fallon straightened up and responded with his second big victory of the day at Thacher School in the 96th Ojai Valley Tennis tournament.

Steve Starleaf always has imagined a rags-to-riches story for Burbank in which his city grows from a tennis nonentity into a thriving stop on the pro tour. The coach and former player who grew up and still lives in Burbank always has been a believer. His idea is no longer a fairy tale.

It is time to say goodbye to Dylan Mann and Nick Varvais. At least as junior tennis players. Mann, 17, of Canoga Park and Taft High is headed to the University of Florida. Varvais, 16, of Simi Valley (Royal High) will now turn his attention to UC Irvine. The Times' regional co-players of the year in the high-school circuit will both be on scholarship. Both played their final matches on the local junior circuit in last week's Southern California Junior Sectional Championships in Fountain Valley.

Adhering to that popular 1960s refrain by the Beach Boys--"be true to your school"--Dylan Mann has again decided to play tennis for Taft High. As a sophomore last season, Mann reached the final of the City Section singles championships and led the Toreadors to the final of the 4-A Division team championships. Mann, a rising player on the United States Tennis Assn. Junior circuit, finished 1994 ranked fourth in Southern California and 27th in the nation.

Corona del Mar tennis Coach Tim Mang knew he was getting a pretty good player in Boris Turkich, exchange student, but he had no idea a role model and a heavy dose of reality was part of the package. Turkich, 16, a junior from Zagreb, Croatia, probably doesn't know it, but in two months he has given his new teammates, and Mang, lessons in tennis, commitment and life. "He's very competitive," Mang said. "He wants to get straight A's, he wants to win every match and he wants to learn everything.