W. Tennis: Team is down to last doubles pair

File Photo: (L-R) Mariia Yatsenko and Taylor Heath have advanced to the semifinals at the state championships
File Photo: (L-R) Mariia Yatsenko and Taylor Heath have advanced to the semifinals at the state championships

The Cerritos College women's tennis team saw their remaining singles players and one of their two doubles teams eliminated on the second day of the CCCAA State Championships in Ojai. The Falcons opened the day with a pair of singles and doubles competitors, with freshman Anastasia Khomyachenko (Sochi, Russia) advancing to the quarterfinals, where she was defeated.

The doubles team of freshmen Taylor Heath (Cerritos HS) and Mariia Yatsenko (School 328, Ukraine), who are seeded #2, won both of their matches on Friday. They have advanced to the quarterfinals and will square off against #3-seeded Polina Gorshinina and Van Nguyen of De Anza College at 1:30 p.m. at the Ojai Athletic Club. The duo opened the day with a 6-4, 6-0 win against Maria Kossenko and Jenna McGuirk of Foothill College before fighting back to eliminate #7-seeded Allison Hernandez and Chieko Yamada of Santa Rosa College, 0-6, 6-3, 10-5. Yamada is also the #1-seeded singles player.

Khomyachenko and sophomore Stef Flores (Golden Valley Charter HS), who were seeded #13, beat Hali Dickson and Emily Nickels of Orange Coast College in their first match of the day, 7-6(9), 4-6, 10-4 before getting beat by #4-seeded Brigetti Benetiz and Meredy Gharabegi of Glendale College, 5-7, 2-6.

In singles action, #13-seeded Khomyachenko reached the Round of 16 with a 6-2, 6-3 win over #4-seeded Marifer Ochoa. But in the next match, #5-seeded Jaella Conway of Grossmont posted a 6-2, 6-3 win over Khomyachenko. As for #14-seeded Heath, she extended #3-seeded Vanessa Teves of Modesto College to a third set, but lost, 4-6, 6-4, 4-6.