FOUR FROM WOMEN'S TENNIS ADVANCE TO STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT AT OJAI

The Antelope Valley College women's tennis team had an impressive showing on the first day of the Western State Conference Tennis Championships, hosted by Ventura College on Tuesday afternoon.

The Marauders qualified four of their six players for the State Championship tournament later this month in Ojai, and still have the opportunity to qualify their final two players.

AVC's top doubles team, Sydney Bush and Nicole Padilla punched their ticket to Ojai after advancing to the Round of 16. The conference takes 17 doubles teams to Ojai. Despite losing to Jamielyn Diaz and Erika Ayriyan of Glendale College, 8-1, Bush and Padilla still advanced.

"We came out of our last match against Victor Valley with some momentum, and it carried over to the Conference Tournament. I am always glad for the ladies who qualify because our State Championships, as part of the Ojai, is an amazing tennis experience," AVC head coach Justin Webb said. "To have two doubles teams in and the third with the opportunity to still get in is exciting. We also had a very good day one in singles. I look forward to our strong play continuing throughout the weekend."

Kaelin Vasquez and Jocelyn Ortega, AVC's No. 2 doubles team, also advanced after moving on from the Round of 32. Vasquez and Ortega nearly advanced to the quarterfinals, but they were defeated by LA Mission College's team of Veronika Verdyan and Ximena Ruiz, 8-6. The Marauders trailed 4-1 but rallied to grab a 6-5 lead. Unfortunately, they ran out of steam, and the Eagles won the final three games.

"It feels really good. We've had our ups and downs this season, but it was good we were able to make it," Ortega said. "We've been challenged all year, and it feels good to move on. I'm pretty excited for this. I feel accomplished because we made it this far playing together. I'm hoping we can continue to play well at State," she added.

Nicole Padilla qualified once again for the State Championships in singles after making the Round of 16 on Thursday afternoon on a rainy, windy, chilly day in Ventura. "I played okay today. I know I didn't play to my full potential. I was kind of nervous out there," Padilla said. "I didn't warm up as well as I would've liked to. It's a little disappointing because I play a lot better than I did, but I still put up a good fight. I would've liked to get a few more points on her. But overall, it's exciting to move on." Arianett Aviña and Emily Lopez were looking to join Bush/Padilla and Vasquez/Oretga, but the pair fell just short. They advanced to the semi-finals; however, they fell one match short.

Aviña and Lopez trailed Bakersfield College 4-1 in the 8-game pro set before rallying to trim the lead to 5-4. Unfortunately, they lost momentum and the match as they failed to advance.

"The tournament is a great experience and sets us up for the win-or-go-home structure of the State Championships. For those who have qualified, now we can spend the next few weeks focusing on how we can improve to be successful," said head coach Justin Webb. I'm very proud of all of the ladies and the effort they displayed. It's a tough week, and they performed admirably."

The State Championships at The Ojai will be held April 24th-28th.