VC Women Split Two Matches, Defeat Santa Monica 5-4

The VC women's tennis team split a pair of matches Monday and Tuesday, including a big 5-4 decision over Santa Monica on Tuesday at the VC Tennis Center. VC dropped Monday's contest against Santa Barbara, 6-3. Dulce Contreras finished off the Corsairs Tuesday in a three-set thriller to complete a Pirate comeback victory.

On Monday, the Pirates dropped a 6-3 decision to visiting Santa Barbara in a rain make-up from earlier in the season. Lola Tennison won her No. 2 singles match in a super tiebreaker, 6-4, 3-6, 10-8, while Kira Branson put up a love, love decision against her opponent in the No. 3 singles slot. Contreras also pulled out a victory, 6-0, 6-3, in No. 5 singles.

Ventura came back on Tuesday to record a big 5-4 comeback win over visiting Santa Monica. The Pirates were down 4-2 before posting three straight wins in Nos. 3, 2 and 5 singles, respectively.

Tennison and Chandra Padua recorded VC's lone doubles win, an 8-2 decision in the No. 2 slot.

Padua then evened the match with a 6-3, 6-1 win at No. 4 singles.  After the Corsairs posted victories in Nos. 1 and 6 singles, respectively, Ventura had their back against the wall in the match.  Branson started the comeback with a 6-4, 7-5 triumph in the No. 3 slot before Tennison won her No. 2 singles contest in three sets, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. That brought the drama to Court 5 where Contreras was locked in battle. She won the first set 6-3 before falling in the second in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (7-4). Finally, she was able to pull out the third set 7-5 to clinch the victory for the Pirates.

Ventura (4-5, 3-3) will next travel to Glendale on Tuesday March 4.

Ventura 3, Santa Barbara 6

Doubles
1. Nicole Iannacone/Kira Branson (VC) lost to Yoshino Fujita/Callie Tzab (SBCC), 8-3
2. Lola Tennison/Chandra Padua (VC) lost to Jana Leowald/Ashley Birch (SBCC), 8-6
3. Dulce Contreras/Samantha Garcia (VC) lost to Kennedy Cross/Kate Brown (SBCC), 8-4

Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2

Singles
1. Iannacone (VC) lost to Fujita (SBCC), 6-0, 6-2
2. Tennison (VC) def. Tzab (SBCC), 6-4, 3-6, 10-8
3. Branson (VC) def. Birch (SBCC), 6-0, 6-0
4. Padua (VC) lost to Leowald (SBCC), 6-0, 6-0
5. Contreras (VC) def. Cross (SBCC), 6-0, 6-3
6. Garcia (VC) lost to Brown (SBCC), 6-3, 6-1

Order of Finish: 4, 3, 6, 1, 5, 2

Ventura 5, Santa Monica 4

Doubles
1. Nicole Iannacone/Kira Branson (VC) lost to Anaya Ayanbadejo/Yesugen Ganbaatar (SMC), 8-6
2. Lola Tennison/Chandra Padua (VC) def. Yulia Klokova/Sophie de Muelenaere (SMC), 8-2
3. Dulce Contreras/Samantha Garcia (VC) lost to Mara LaForte/Zoe Allais (SMC), 8-3

Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2

Singles
1. Iannacone (VC) lost to Ayanbadejo (SMC), 6-0, 6-1
2. Tennison (VC) def. Klokova (SMC), 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
3. Branson (VC) def. de Muelenaere  (SMC), 6-4, 7-5
4. Padua (VC) def. Allais (SMC), 6-3, 6-1
5. Contreras (VC) def. LaForte (SMC), 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 7-5
6. Garcia (VC) lost to Sydney Belanger (SMC), 6-1, 6-1

Order of Finish: 4, 1, 6, 3, 2, 5