Pirates Defeat NorCal No. 1 in North/South Challenge

The VC men's tennis team defeated the top-ranked team from Northern California Friday, posting a 6-3 win over Chabot in the North/South Challenge in Bakersfield. The Pirates trailed 3-1 in the match before making a furious comeback in singles play, with Ariitea Cotti-Helme clinching the victory with a come-from-behind three-set win on Court 4.

Caua Coimbra and Abladj Mondroha won in the top doubles contest, 8-4, but the Gladiators claimed the Nos. 2 and 3 matches to put VC behind 2-1 entering singles play.

Chabot claimed a win on COurt 3 to go ahead 3-1 before Ventura mounted a comeback. Victor Peyrebonne won his No. 2 singles match, 6-2, 6-4 before Coimbra evened the score with a 6-2, 6-2 triumph on Court 1. Manolo Vanbesien put Ventura ahead with a 6-1, 6-4 win in No. 6 singles before Cotti-Helme clinched the team victory with a his come-from-behind win in the No. 4 slot, 3-6, 6-4, 10-7. Shingo Ono completed the day with his own-three-set thriller, winning on Court 5, 6-4, 6-7 (12), 10-3.

The Pirates continue play in the North/South Challenge on Saturday Mar. 21 with contests against Porterville and Fresno.

Ventura 6, Chabot 3

Doubles
1. Caua Coimbra/Abladj Mondroha (VC) def. Gavin Jacutin/Alex Englund (CC), 8-4
2. Yanis Guerrout/Ariitea Cotti-Helme (VC) lost to Sergio Escobar/Ben Deriquito (CC), 8-3
3. Shingo Ono/Victor Peyrebonne (VC) lost to Ryan Chan/Theeran Sivakumar (CC), 8-5

Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3

Singles
1. Coimbra (VC) def. Escobar  (CC), 6-2, 6-2
2. Peyrebonne (VC) def. Chan (CC), 6-2, 6-4
3. Mondroha (VC) lost to Sivakumar (CC), 6-3, 6-3
4. Cotti-Helme (VC) def. Jacutin (CC), 3-6, 6-4, 10-7
5. Ono (VC) def. Deriquito (CC), 6-4, 6-7 (12), 10-3 
6. Manolo Vanbesien (VC) def. Englund (CC), 6-1, 6-4

Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1, 6, 4, 5