The VC men's tennis team defeated Santa Barbara 7-2 on Tuesday clinching the program's 20th Western State Conference title in 26 competitive seasons under head coach Nelson Emery. Leo Pham-Kobayashi and Lucas Abreau each totaled two wins for VC, first in No. 2 doubles, then in the Nos. 2 and 6 singles, respectively, for the Pirates (10-6, 5-0).
Cody Ray Emery and Rafael Matias got the day started right with an 8-3 win in No. 1 singles. Abreau and Pham-Kobayashi followed with an 8-4 victory in the No. 2 slot. SBCC narrowly defeated Julian Tellez and Edgar Ploquin in the No. 3 doubles match, 8-6.
Abreau then earned his second point as he was leading 3-1 when his opponent retired due to injury in No. 2 singles. Tellez followed with an easy 6-3, 6-0 win at No. 3 and Robinson Pelluault clinched the team win with a 6-4, 7-5 triumph in the No. 4 slot. Ploquin prevailed in his No. 5 singles match in three sets, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 and Pham-Kobayashi captured his second point with a 9-2, 3-6, 6-4 victory in the No. 6 match. Matias dropped a heartbreak at No. 1, falling 3-6, 7-6 (7-6), 11-9.
Ventura next travels to Bakersfield on Friday and Saturday, March 22 and 23 to battle for the Pfister Cup in the North/South Challenge. the Pirates will take on Foothill on Friday before playing Chabot and Fresno on Saturday.
Ventura 9, Santa Barbara 0
Doubles
1. Cody Ray Emery/ Rafael Matias (VC) def. Mauritz Seitz/Matias Lapidus (SBCC), 8-3
2. Lucas Abreau/Leo Pham-Kobayashi (VC) def. Dominic Arnell/Connor Schloemer Ada Guler (SBCC), 8-4
3. Julian Tellez/Edgar Ploquin (VC) lost to Daniel Truong/Ada Guler (SBCC), 8-6
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3
Singles
1. Matias (VC) lost to Seitz (SBCC), 3-6, 7-6 (8-6), 11-9
2. Abreau (VC) def. Arnell (SBCC), 3-1, retired
3. Tellez (VC) def. Lapidus (SBCC), 6-0, 6-3
4. Robinson Pelluault (VC) def. Truong (SBCC), 6-4, 7-5
5. Ploquin (VC) def. Schloemer (SBCC), 6-1, 3-6, 7-5
6. Pham-Kobayashi (VC) def. Guler (SBCC), 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1