The No. 2-seeded VC men's tennis team ended their run in the Southern California Regional Playoffs Saturday with a 5-0 loss at No. 1 College of the Desert in Palm Desert. The Pirates (18-1) suffered their first defeat of the year at the hands of the undefeated Roadrunners in a competitive match-up that was closer than the final score indicated.
Ventura's No. 3 doubles pair of Philemon Jabin and Jinsei Tajima took an early 3-0 lead in their match, but eventually dropped a 9-7 decision in their match. Yuya Koide and Ryan Lam also put up a spirited fight in the No. 2 doubles match, but fell 8-6. The Pirates' No. 1 pair of Brodie Sodersten and Sam Ashbrook also fell in doubles play 8-3.
Down 3-0 after doubles, the Pirates continued to put up strong resistance, but it turned out to be the Roadrunners' day. Jabin fell in his No. 1 singles draw and Koide dropped his match in No. 3 singles to cede the contest to Desert. Sodersten was giving the good fight in No. 2 singles and Ashbrook was coming back after falling in his first set in No. 4 singles. Tajima also trailed in No. 5 singled when the match was decided and Santino Serralonga had pulled even in his No. 6 singles contest, 1-6, 6-1, 1-1.
The Pirates end the team dual season with an overall record of 18-1, the thrid-best winning percentage in program history behind the state championship teams of 2008 and 2010. They will continue play, however, in the Southern California Regional Singles and Doubles Championships beginning Friday April 29.
Ventura 0, College of the Desert 5
Doubles
1. Sodersten/Ashbrook (VC) lost to Strode/Chavez (COD) 8-3
2. Koide / Ryan Lam (VC) lost to Alvarez/Shaw (COD) 8-3
3. Jabin/Tajima (VC) lost to Ma/Ishikawa (COD) 9-7
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3
Singles
1. Philemon Jabin (VC) lost to Elijah Strode (COD) 6-2, 6-1
2. Brodie Sodersten (VC) vs. Marco Alvarez (COD) 4-6, 2-4, DNF
3. Yuya Koide (VC) lost to Raymundo Chavez (COD) 6-1, 6-1
4. Sam Ashbrook (VC) vs. Eita Ishikawa (COD) 0-6, 4-5, DNF
5. Jinsei Tajima (VC) vs. Jiaxi Ma (COD) 3-6, 1-4, DNF
6. Santino Serralonga (VC) vs. Matthew Shaw (COD) 1-6, 6-1, 1-1, DNF
Order of Finish: 1, 2