After playing their last five matches on the road, the Cerritos College women's tennis team returned home to defeat Irvine Valley College, 7-2 on Tuesday. The Falcons (5-1) will now host Mesa (AZ) CC at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday in a non-conference match.
Cerritos won two of the three doubles matches to give them an early lead, but did suffer one injury that forced a retirement in singles action. Sophomore Lisa Suzuki (Fujimigaoka, Japan/Seward County (KS) CC), playing in the #1 position, retired from her match against Halla Alajeely after dropping the first set, 7-6 (7-5). However, in the #2 match, the Lasers (1-1) saw Ariana Hedayati forced to retire due to an injury against sophomore Petra Such (Illyes Gyula, Hungary), who won the first set, 6-0.
The Falcons swept the other four matches in straight sets, with Suzuki's doubles partner, freshman Kseniia Prokopchuk (School 45, Ukraine) earning a solid 6-1, 6-0 win in the #3 match and sophomore Itzi Torres (ITESM CEM, Mexico/Kansas Wesleyan University) recording a 6-1, 6-2 win at #4. Closing out the other wins were sophomores, Diviana Bravo (Rosa de Jesus Cordero, Ecuador), who earned a 6-0, 6-3 win at #5 and Mary Navalta (Norwalk HS), who was extended to a tie-breaker in the second set before coming away with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) win.
Suzuki and Prokopchuk clinched their 8-6 doubles win when Irvine Valley double-faulted on match point. Such and Torres posted a strong 8-2 win in the #2 doubles match.
SINGLES
Halla Alajeely (IVC) def. Lisa Suzuki (CERR), 7-6 (7-5), retired
Petra Such (CERR) def. Ariana Hedayati (IVC), 6-0, retired
Kseniia Prokopchuk (CERR) def. Fiorella Dreux (IVC), 6-1, 6-0
Itzi Torres (CERR) def. Anna Kretchova (IVC), 6-1, 6-2
Diviana Bravo (CERR) def. Abigail Perez (IVC), 6-0, 6-3
Mary Navalta (CERR) def. Lauren MacDonnell (IVC), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3)
DOUBLES
Lisa Suzuki/Kseniia Prokopchuk (CERR) def. Halla Alajeely/Fiorella Dreux (IVC), 8-6
Petra Such/Itzi Torres (CERR) def. Ariana Hedayati/Abigail Perez (IVC), 8-2
Anna Kretchova/Lauren MacDonnell (IVC) def. Diviana Bravo/Mary Navalta (CERR), 9-8 (5)
Photos by Liz Aceves
