The VC men's tennis team has played many four year schools in recent years, and they continued the trend Saturday hosting NCAA Division III Pomona Pitzer. Despite the 9-0 defeat, the Pirates battled, including a pair of tiebreakers in singles play from Rafael Matias and Leo Pham in the Nos. 1 and 6 matches, respectively. Yanis Guerrout and Ariitea Cotti-Helme also battled to 7-5 set losses in singles play.
The Sagehens, ranked No. 24 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association national rankings, swept the Pirates in doubles play. Max Beaudry and Manolo Vanbesien fought to a 6-4 setback in the No. 3 doubles slot.
Matias went to a tiebreaker in the first set, falling 7-6 (7-2) before dropping the second set in his No. 1 singles match. Meanwhile Pham also went to a first-set tiebreaker, falling at no. 6 singles 7-6 (8-6), 6-2. Guerrout battled to a 7-5 first-set defeat before falling 6-2 in the second and Cotti-Helme also lost 7-5 in the opening set before a 6-2 setback in the second.
The Pirates resume Western State Conference play on Tuesday Feb. 25 at Santa Barbara.
Ventura 0, Pomona Pitzer 9
Doubles
1. Yusen Sato/Haru Nakayama (VC) lost to Leo Rocca/Drew Goldman (PPC), 6-3
2. Rafael Matias/Yanis Guerrout (VC) lost to Ethan Lee/Neil Chulani (PPC), 6-2
3. Max Beaudry/Manolo Vanbesien (VC) def. Sam English/Luke Feng (PPC), 6-4
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles
1. Matias (VC) lost to Goldman (PPC), 7-6 (7-2), 6-2
2. Sato (VC) lost to Lee (PPC), 6-3, 6-4
3. Guerrout (VC) lost to Andrew Andea (PPC), 7-5, 6-2
4. Nakayama (VC) lost to English (PPC), 6-4, 6-1
5. Ariitea Cotti-Helme (VC) lost to Feng (PPC), 7-5, 6-2
6. Pham (VC) lost to John Wehrle (PPC), 7-6 (8-6), 6-2
Order of Finish: 4, 2, 5, 3, 1, 6