Pirate Tennis Drops Two at Fresno State

Pirates Eduardo Gorgonio Criscuolo (left) and Bledar Gashi play doubles at NCAA Division I Fresno State University on Friday. Ventura's men's tennis team has played five of six matches this season against four-year competition due to a lack of available community college teams.
Pirates Eduardo Gorgonio Criscuolo (left) and Bledar Gashi play doubles at NCAA Division I Fresno State University on Friday. Ventura's men's tennis team has played five of six matches this season against four-year competition due to a lack of available community college teams.

Although the record might not show it, the 2021 Covid season has been a great experience for the VC men's tennis team. It continued on Friday as the Pirates traveled to take on NCAA Division I foe Fresno State, dropping a pair of matches against the Bulldogs. Ventura has now played four-year schools in five of its six matches this season with limited community college competition available.

In the first match. the Pirates fell by a 7-0 count.  Doubles competition included Bledar Gashi and Tomas Cabanillas falling 6-1 to former Pirate Cody Castro and his doubles partner from Fresno State 6-1. In singles, Ryan Lam lost at No. 3 6-2 7-6 while Yuya Koide dropped his No. 2 match 6-2, 6-4. Cabanillas, making his Ventura College debut, lost to castro in No. 6 singles, 6-2, 6-1.

Despite losing the second match 7-0, the Pirates continued to battle. Koide and Brodie Sodersten along with Regnar Madarang and Lam each took a game from their opponents in Nos. 1 and 2 doubles, respectively. Sodersten also battled at No. 2 singles, falling 7-6, 6-2 while Lam lost his No. 4 singles match 6-1, 6-2.

Ventura completes their 2021 tour of four-year schools traveling to Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks on Wednesday April 28 for a 1:00 pm match.

Ventura 0, Fresno State 7, Match #1

Doubles
1. Koide/Lam (VC) lost to Derkas/Bradshaw (FSU), 6-1
2. Sodersten/Madarang (VC) lost to Aleschev/Osorio (FSU), 6-1
3. Bledar Gashi/Cabanillas (VC) lost to Falck/Castro (FSU), 6-1

Singles
1. Brodie Sodersten (VC) lost to Zdenek Derkas (FSU), 6-0, 6-1 
2. Yuya Koide (VC) lost to Angus Bradshaw (FSU), 6-2, 6-4
3. Ryan Lam (VC) lost to Reece Falck (FSU), 6-2, 7-6 
4. Regnar Madarang (VC) lost to Henrique Osorio (FSU), 6-0, 6-0
5. Ethan Wang (VC) lost to Alexey Aleschev (FSU), 6-0, 6-1
6. Tomas Cabanillas (VC) lost to Cody Castro (FSU), 6-2, 6-1

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Ventura 0, Fresno State 7, Match #2

Doubles
1. Koide/Sodersten (VC) lost to Derkas/Bradshaw (FSU), 6-1
2. Madarang/Lam (VC) lost to Myagkov/Dario Huber (FSU), 6-1
3. Criscuolo/Ethan Wang (VC) lost to Falck/Castro (FSU), 6-0

Singles
1. Yuya Koide (VC) lost to Zdenek Derkas (FSU), 6-1, 6-0 
2. Brodie Sodersten (VC) lost to Angus Bradshaw (FSU), 7-6, 6-2
3. Regnar Madarang (VC) lost to Aleksandr Myagkov (FSU), 6-0, 6-0 
4. Ryan Lam (VC) lost to Henrique Osorio (FSU), 6-1, 6-2
5. Eduardo Gorgonio Criscuolo (VC) lost to Alexey Aleschev (FSU), 6-0, 6-0
6. Bledar Gashi (VC) lost to Cody Castro (FSU), 6-2, 6-0