Irvine Valley ends successful dual team season

Irvine Valley's women's tennis team saw its dual season end Tuesday afternoon in the opening round of the CCCAA Southern California regional playoffs.

The Lasers, seeded seventh, fell to No. 2 Glendale, 5-2, at Glendale.

The match was much closer than that however.

Irvine Valley won two of the three doubles matches, lost one singles match in three sets and had two other singles matches halted that were in the third set when the match was halted because Glendale had clinched the overall win with five victories.

Irvine Valley finished the season with a record of 10-6 overall. The team was 8-2 in the Orange Empire Conference to take second.

It was the first time Irvine Valley had made the playoffs since 2010.

The Lasers, who had lost to Glendale, 7-2, in a match earlier this season, got off to a great start on Tuesday.

The doubles teams of sophomores Ashley Athanas and Marissa Woolsey and sophomores Ruth Chou and Christie Yamasaki each earned victories.

Athanas and Woolsey defeated Amy Shigenaga and Elizabeth Sanchez, 8-6, at the No. 2 position and Chou and Yamasaki defeated Meghedi Mooradian and Ayaka Takeuchi, 8-4, at the No. 3 spot.

Irvine Valley led, 2-1, after the doubles round.

In singles, Glendale picked up straight-set wins at the second, fifth and sixth positions.

Sanchez earned a tough, three-set win over Woolsey, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, to clinch the fifth set for Glendale.

IVC sophomore Renee Walton and Athanas had their matches halted.

Walton was tied, 5-5, in the third set of her No. 1 singles match. And Athanas was in the second set after winning the opening set at No. 2 singles.

Glendale, which won the Western State Conference, improved its record to 16-2 overall.

Glendale def. Irvine Valley, 5-2

Doubles

1) Brigitta Benitez/Meredy Gharabegi (GC) def. Renee Walton/Tiana Cung (IVC), 8-3
2) Ashley Athanas/Marissa Woolsey (IVC) def. Amy Shigenaga/Elizabeth Sanchez (GC), 8-6

3) Ruth Chou/Christie Yamasaki (IVC) def. Meghedi Mooradian/Ayaka Takeuchi (GC), 8-4

Singles

1) Benitez (GC) vs. Walton (IVC), 2-6, 6-2, 5-5 - unfinished

2) Mooradian (GC) vs. Athanas (IVC), 3-6, 6-5 - unfinished

3) Shigenaga (GC) def. Chou (IVC), 6-4, 6-3

4) Sanchez (GC) def. Woolsey (IVC), 4-6, 6-2, 6-2

5) Gharabegi (GC) def. Cung (IVC), 6-3, 6-0

6) Takeuchi (GC) def. Parmida Navabsafavi (IVC), 6-1, 6-1