Koyanagi and Karen Move to Quarterfinals in Singles and Doubles

VC freshman Corey Karen advanced to the state quarterfinals with an upset win Friday.  He will also play in the doubles quarterfinals with partner Hironori Koyanagi.
VC freshman Corey Karen advanced to the state quarterfinals with an upset win Friday. He will also play in the doubles quarterfinals with partner Hironori Koyanagi.

Hironori Koyanagi and Corey Karen both advanced to the singles quarterfinals of the CCCAA State Championships at The Ojai Tournament Friday.  Additionally, the pair also moved to the quarterfinals in doubles, setting themselves up for a busy weekend at the state championships.

Koyanagi, the top-seed in the draw, continued his perfect season with a 6-2, 6-2 win over an opponent from Grossmont, the defeated a foe from College of the Desert, 6-1, 6-0.  Karen, meanwhile, defeated an opponent from state champion Irvine Valley, 6-1, 6-3, before upsetting the No. 2 seed from Grossmont.  The No. 16-seed advanced with a 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 victory.  Both Koyanagi and Karen will play their singles quarterfinal at 9:30 am at the Ojai Athletic Club.

Koyanagi and Karen also teamed up in doubles to move into the round of eight.  The SoCal top-seeds had a 6-1, 6-1 win over a team from Glendale, then defeated the No. 9 seed from Grossmont, 6-1, 6-2. They will play their doubles quarterfinal at 2:00 pm, also at the Ojai Athletic Club.

Guenter Newman also played in the round of 32 Friday, falling 6-0, 6-1 to the No. 3 seed from Irvine Valley College.  The doubles team of Victor Ribeiro and Leonardo Santos also played Friday, falling 6-3, 6-3 to the No. 3 seeds from Irvine Valley College.

Play continues on Saturday April 25 in the state championships.  Fans can follow the draw online on The Ojai Tournament website.