American River Completes Undefeated Season, Captures Back-to-Back State Titles
Robin Hester, Ventura College Sports Information
In a repeat state final match-up from a year ago, the American River women’s tennis team insured a repeat champion Wednesday by defeating Orange Coast 5-0 in the 3C2A State Finals at Ventura College. ARC’s Nahreen Cheam went love-love in No. 1 singles and Jannae Spitters clinched the championship in No. 3 singles to finish off an undefeated season for the Beavers and head coach Steven Dunmore.
Mandi Pinkerton and Spitters raced out to a 3-1 lead in No. 2 doubles for American River while OCC’s No. 1 pair of Tori Varela and Olivia Sipiora held the early edge on the No. 1 court. Meanwhile, Camila Nelson and Merrit Dubourdieu helped the Pirates to a 3-0 advantage in No. 3 doubles.
Things turned around quickly for the Beavers, however, as Cheam and Bella Hernandez won four straight games on Court 1 to hold a 5-2 margin. OCC hung tough in No. 3 doubles with a 3-2 lead before Maiah White and Kaitlyn Nicholsky tied the match at 4-4.
Pinkerton and Spitters continued their dominance in the No. 2 doubles match, winning American River’s first point of the championship, 8-2. Cheam and Hernandez continued to play well for the Beavers, taking the No. 1 court 8-3 and White and Nicholsky rolled to their 8-4 win in No. 3 doubles, giving ARC a commanding 3-0 lead in the match.
“We spent a lot of time on doubles,” said Dunmore. “I’m glad we put the work in.”
The Beavers were solid at the top of the line-up in singles play as Cheam, White and Spitters yielded a total of three games in winning their first sets. Hernandez also won her first set 6-0 as American River was rolling.
In quick succession, Cheam completed her 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 1 and Spitters claimed the No. 3 singles contest 6-2, 6-3, to clinch the title. Hernandez and White were also one game away from taking their Nos. 2 and 5 matches, respectively, when the Beavers claimed the crown.
“It feels amazing,” said White, who was a member of last year’s state-title team. “I’m glad we proved we are just as good or better (than last year).”
“(Its) never like the first time,” said Dunmore. “There is a little more appreciation instead of excitement.”
“It’s still very special.”
American River 5, Orange Coast 0
Doubles
Nahreen Cheam/Bella Hernandez (ARC) def. Tori Varela/Olivia Sipiora (OCC), 8-3
Mandi Pinkerton/Janne Spitters (ARC) def. Rhea Gagnepain/Leanne Pascua (OCC), 8-2
Maiah White/Kaitlyn Nicholsky (ARC) def. Camila Nelson/Merrit Dubourdieu (OCC), 8-4
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3
Singles
Cheam (ARC) def. Nelson (OCC), 6-0, 6-0
White (ARC) vs. Varela (OCC), 6-1, 5-1, DNF
Spitters (ARC) def. Sipiora (OCC), 6-2, 6-3
Nicholsky (ARC) vs. Gagnepain (OCC), 5-5, DNF
Hernandez (ARC) vs. Dubourdieu (OCC), 6-0, 5-4, DNF
Laney Reddick (ARC) vs. Pascua (OCC), 4-6, 1-1
Order of Finish: 1, 3
Team Records: American River (19-0), Orange Coast (22-2)
VC Men Down American River
VENTURA – The Ventura College men’s tennis team captured its third California Community College Athletic Association State (CCCAA) championship with a 5-0 victory against Northern California regional winner American River College on its home courts at the Ventura College Tennis Center on Wednesday in kicking off the 122nd Ojai Tennis Tournament.
Ventura sophomore Julian Tellez clinched the winner for the Pirates in No. 4 singles – defeating American River’s Spencer Hill, 6-2, 6-0 – after Brazilian freshman Rafael Matias had recorded a 6-0, 6-0 win in the No. 2 slot over the Beavers’ Enrique Silveira.
The sophomore tandem of Cody Ray Emery and Brazilian Lucas Abreu, Matias-Tellez, and Frenchmen Robinson Pelluault and Edgar Ploquin earned doubles points for Ventura.
The Pirates (18-6), which advanced to the CCCAA’s state final for the first time since 2013, won their final 11 matches of the season and are the eighth consecutive Southern California regional winner to secure the state title. Ventura’s previous state crowns were achieved in 2008 and 2010. American River (16-5), which reached the CCCAA State final for the second consecutive year, hoisted its lone state championship In 1966.
California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Men’s Dual Team State Championship match
At Ventura College Tennis Center
Ventura College 5, American River College 0
Doubles
1. Cody Ray Emery/Lucas Abreu (VC) def. Enrique Silveira/Gavin Sonntag (ARC), 8-6
. Rafael Matias /Julian Tellez (VC) def. Spencer Hill/Arjun Sivakumar (ARC), 8-4
3. Robinson Pelluault/Edgar Ploquin (VC) def. Tarang Sharma/Shane Timmons (ARC), 8-3
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1
Singles
1. Emery (VC) vs. Sonntag (ARC), 6-2, 2-2, DNF
2. Matias (VC) def. Silveira (ARC), 6-0, 6-0
3. Abreau (VC) vs. Sivakumar (ARC), 6-1, 3-2, DNF
|4. Tellez (VC) def. Hill (ARC), 6-2, 6-0
5. Pelluault (VC) vs. Sharma (ARC), 6-2, 3-0, DNF
6. Ploquin (VC) vs. Timmons (ARC), 6-3, 2-3, DNF
Order of Finish: 2, 4