Pirates Men Continue Success at WSC Championships

VC sophomore Robinson Pelluault qualified for The Ojai Friday with his run through the back draw of the WSC Championships in Ventura. (photo by Larry Gleeson)
VC sophomore Robinson Pelluault qualified for The Ojai Friday with his run through the back draw of the WSC Championships in Ventura. (photo by Larry Gleeson)

See WSC Men's Singles Draw
See WSC Men's Doubles Draw

The Pirates' men's tennis team continued its string of success Friday on the third day of the Western State Conference Championships at the VC Tennis Center. Cody Ray Emery moved into Saturday's singles final and also advanced with Lucas Abreau to the doubles semifinals. Meanwhile, Robinson Pelluault qualified for the 3C2A State Championships in the singles back draw.

Emery, who had already qualified for The Ojai by advancing to the WSC quarterfinals, won a pair of matches to move to the men's singles championship. The No. 2-seed in the draw defeated an opponent from Glendale in the quarterfinal, 6-1, 6-2, before besting a player from Bakersfield, 6-0, 6-2 in the semifinal round. emery will play in the WSC singles final on Saturday April 6 at 11:00 am.

Meanwhile, state qualifiers Rafael Matias and Julian Tellez each dropped their quarterfinal matches. Matias fell in a super-tiebreaker to a player from Santa Barbara, 6-3, 3-6, 10-6, and Tellez dropped a 6-0, 6-0 decision to the No. 1-seed from Glendale.

In the back draw, Pelluault, Abreau and Edgar Ploquin all were in the running for three remaining state spots. Pelluault won a match against Santa Barbara, 6-3, 6-3, then beat a Bakersfield player, 7-6, (7-1), 6-2 to punch his ticket to state. Abreau ended Ploquin's season with a 6-2, 6-2 decision before falling to an opponent from Bakersfield, 6-4, 6-2. Abreau will have one more match on Saturday April 6 with a chance to move on to The Ojai.

Emery and Abreau also advanced in doubles play, qualifying for state with an 8-1 win over Santa Barbara before moving to the semifinals 8-2 against Bakersfield. The semifinals will begin at approximately 1:00 pm on Saturday April 6.

Tellez and Matias punched their ticket to The Ojai with an 8-3 win over a Glendale duo before falling 8-4 to a Bakersfield pair in the quarterfinals.  

Meanwhile, Pelluault and Ploquin lost their opening doubles match against a team from Santa Barbara, 8-4, and moved into Saturday's back draw along with Cooper Rowlands and Tiebe Verschaeve, who dropped their Round of 16 match on Thursday.

The WSC Championships will conclude on Saturday April 6 at the VC Tennis Center.