VENTURA - (by Robin Hester, Ventura College Athletics) - Desert women's tennis player freshman Hana Moss (National City Sweetwater Union) concluded her stellar first season with the Roadrunners by claiming the silver medal in the CCCAA State Singles Tournament completed Saturday at The Ojai Tournament. Moss won her semifinal match in the morning before falling in a final in the afternoon at Libbey Park in Ojai.

After coming up short in the 2022 3C2A Singles State Championship match, Santa Monica Corsairs sophomore Nicole West (West Hollywood College Preparatory School) defeated College of the Desert Roadrunners freshman Hana Moss (National City Sweetwater Union), 6-2, 1-6, 6-1. One of the main differences this year for West, was she solely concentrated on singles, since she did not participate in doubles. Last year she played four singles matches and four doubles matches in a two-day span. This year she played six singles matches over a four-day period.

West looked like she was going to coast through the finals after winning six straight games to win the first set 6-2. West explained the start of the match, "it was a tough match, the first couple of games I was nervous and tight. I went down 2-0, but got some confidence and swung back and closed out the set 6-2." However, as Moss has shown all tournament, she is tough to beat and came back to force a deciding third set. West said about her opponent, "Hana picked her game up and played really well in the second set."

After each individual won decisively in the first two sets, the crowd anticipated a close third set. However, West was able to regain her composer and closed out the championship match with a 6-1 third set. She said, "third set I rallied and got a good couple games and regained confidence to close it out." After being a runner up in both singles and doubles last year, West commented, "it feels so much better to be the State Champion. It feels good to finish what I started last year."

West will be moving on to continue her playing career at a four-year institution and is contemplating her offers and opportunities. Moss is in her first year at COD and will be using the motivation that West had to seek redemption next season.

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For additional information, please contact the COD Sports Information Office at 760.423.6641.

Information, Photo & Story provided by CCCAA.