The VC women's tennis team dropped its first round match in the 3C2A Southern California Regional Playoffs at Orange Coast Tuesday. VC, playing in the post-season for the second time in the past three years, could not keep up with the defending Southern California champions in the match in Costa Mesa.
It was a challenge from the beginning for the No. 8-seeded Pirates from VC against the No. 2 Orange Coast Pirates. Dulce Contreras and Fernanda Gonzales fell in No. 3 doubles before Lola Tennison and Chandra Padua dropped the doubles match on Court 2. Nicole Iannacone and Kira Branson also fell in doubles play as OCC raced to a 3-0 lead.
In singles, Branson fell at No. 3 and Sherry Bonilla dropped her No. 6 contest as Coast clinched the win. Iannacone was ahead 4-1 in her No. 1 singles match before falling in a tiebreaker before play ended, and Tennison was down at No. 2. OCC also had leads against Padua and Contreras at Nos. 4 and 5 when play ended.
Despite the setback, the Ventura completed a successful team season at 9-8 overall, 8-5 in Western State Conference play.
Iannacone and Branson, along with Tennison and Padua will see action in doubles at the 3C2A State Championships at The Ojai Tournament beginning April 24 while Iannacone, Tennison and Branson all qualified for state in singles.
Ventura 0, Orange Coast 5
Doubles
1. Nicole Iannacone/Kira Branson (VC) lost to Tori Varela/Ava Bocek (OCC), 8-0
2. Lola Tennison/Chandra Padua (VC) lost to Mebuki Kitakuni/Kaylee Ho (OCC), 8-3
3. Dulce Contreras/Fernanda Gonzales (VC) def. Kayla Cheng/Breckyn Burg (OCC), 8-0
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1
Singles
1. Iannacone (VC) down to Cheng (OCC), 7-6 (7-4), DNF
2. Tennison (VC) down to Kitakuni (OCC), 6-4, 3-1, DNF
3. Branson (VC) lost to Varela (OCC), 6-0, 6-0
4. Padua (VC) down to Ho (OCC), 6-0, 5-2, DNF
5. Contreras (VC) down Bocek (OCC), 6-0, 3-2, DNF
6. Sherry Bonilla (VC) lost to Sydney Friesan (OCC), 6-1, 6-1
Order of Finish: 3, 6