The VC men's tennis team was dominant on the first day of the Western State Conference Singles and Doubles Championships Thursday at the VC Tennis Center. The Pirates hold five of the eight spots in the singles quarterfinals scheduled for day two and also have three of eight doubles quarterfinalists. Philemon Jabin, Julian Tellez and Lucas Abreau all posted two singles victories on the day for VC.
In doubles play, top-seeded Jinsei Tajima and Jabin had a bye into the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Santino Serralonga and Valentino Oggero posted an 8-4 win over a duo from Bakersfield in their match to advance. Abreau and Eduardo Gorgonio Criscuolo advanced with an 8-2 win over their opponents from Glendale. The Pirates fourth pair, Tellez and Jared Gillespie dropped an 8-6 decision to a team from Glendale in their Round of 16 match.
In singles play, it was an orange and black day with Ventura going a collective 9-3. Jabin went love and love in his first match against an opponent from Santa Barbara before defeating a player from Bakersfield, 6-2, 6-1.
Tellez moved forward with a 6-2, 6-3 win over his first opponent from Santa Barbara before defeating a player from Bakersfield, 6-3, 6-1. He will face teammate and No. 2-seed Serralonga, who won his only match of the day against a Glendale Vaquero, 6-1, 6-1.
Abreau triumphed in his first match against Bakersfield, 6-1, 6-2 before defeating an opponent from Glendale, 6-1, 6-3. He moves to the quarterfinals to face teammate and top-seed Jinsei Tajima, who defeated a player from Glendale one and love.
Oggero prevailed in his first match of the day 6-1, 6-0 over Santa Barbara before falling to a foe from Glendale to move into the backdraw. Robinson Pelluault narrowly dropped his first round match against Bakersfield, 7-5, 7-6, and Jared Gillespie fell in the Round of 32 to an opponent from Bakersfield.
Singles play is scheduled to resume at 12:00 pm on Friday March 31 and doubles at 3:00 pm at the VC Tennis Center.