In the Southern California Team Playoffs, the Cerritos College women's team was edged by host Glendale College, 5-4 on Tuesday in the semi-finals. The Falcons (19-7) were seeded #4, while the Vaqueros were the #2-seeded team. In their first match of the season, Glendale handed Cerritos a loss. The Falcons will now train for the CCCAA State Championships, which will take place in Ojai from April 23-26.

Doubles play proved to be strong for Cerritos, with the top two teams posting wins. Freshmen Taylor Heath (Cerritos HS) and Mariia Yatsenko (School 328, Ukraine) teamed for an 8-2 win, while sophomore Stef Flores (Golden Valley Charter HS) and freshman Anastasia Khomyachenko (Sochi, Russia) recorded an 8-3 win.

As strong as the Falcons were at the top of their ladders, they struggled on the bottom half. Losses to the third doubles team and in the last two singles positions proved to be damaging to the team's chances at winning. In the #5 singles match, freshman Katia Brambila (Bell HS) won the first set against Meredy Gharabegi, 7-6(5), but could only capture one more game in the next two sets.

Heath (6-3, 6-3) and Flores (6-3, 6-2) easily won their singles matches. But Yatsenko suffered her first loss all season in the #3 position. She also earned an win in the first set (7-5) against Amy Shigenaga, but could not finish her off and dropped the next two sets, 0-6, 2-6, Khomyachenko played a tight first game at the top of the ladder, even though she fell, 5-7, and then could not recover and was defeated in the second set, 1-6.

DOUBLES

Taylor Heath/Mariia Yatsenko (CERR) def. Brigitta Benitez/Meredy Gharabegi (GLEN), 8-2
Stef Flores/Anastasia Khonyachenko (CERR) def. Amy Shigenaga/Elizabeth Sanchez (GLEN), 8-3
Meghedi Mooradian/Ayaka Takeuchi (GLEN) def. Katia Brambila/Merli Alcasid (CERR), 8-2

SINGLES

Brigitta Benitez (Glen) def. Anastasia Khomyachenko (CERR), 7-5, 6-1
Taylor Heath (CERR) def. Meghedi Mooradian (GLEN), 6-3, 6-3
Amy Shigenaga (GLEN) def. Mariia Yatsenko (CERR), 5-7, 6-0, 6-2
Stef Flores (CERR) def. Elizabeth Sanchez (GLEN), 6-3, 6-2
Meredy Gharabegi (GLEN) def. Katia Brambila (CERR), 6-7(5), 6-0, 6-1
Ayaka Takeuchi (GLEN) def. Merli Alcasid (CERR), 6-0, 6-0