With a chance to win their first South Coast Conference championship since 2009, the Cerritos College women's tennis team was defeated by host Mt. San Antonio College, 5-4 on Tuesday. A win by the Falcons (16-4, 7-2) would have put them in a first place tie with the Mounties (16-0, 9-0), who are ranked #1 in Southern California. The team will now travel to El Camino College on Thursday for a 2:00 p.m. match.

After dropping two of the three doubles matches, the Falcons looked to shake things up in hopes of better matchups at the top of the singles ladder. Freshman Anastasia Khomyachenko (Sochi, Russia), who had spent most of the season as the #2 player, moved to the top of the ladder. She played a tough match against Connie Aranguiz, but came up short in a 6-4, 6-3 match. Freshman Taylor Heath (Cerritos HS), the regular #1 player in singles, responded with a convincing 6-3, 6-1 win in the #2 position.

The steadiest player on the team, freshman Mariia Yatsenko (School 328, Ukraine) posted a dominant 6-2, 6-1 win in the #4 single match and also teamed with Heath for an 8-5 win in doubles action. Sophomore Merli Alcasid (Gahr HS) earned the Falcons final team point with a come-from-behind 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory in the #6 spot on the ladder.

DOUBLES

Taylor Heath/Mariia Yatsenko (CERR) def. Pyper Brown/Judy Ung (MSAC), 8-5
Connie Aranguiz/Kristen Canones (MSAC) def. Stef Flores/Anastasia Khomyachenko (CERR), 8-2
Tran Bui/Ysabella Matute (MSAC) def. Katia Brambila/Merli Alcasid (CERR), 8-5

SINGLES

Connie Aranguiz (MSAC) def. Anastasia Khomyachenko (CERR), 6-4, 6-3
Taylor Heath (CERR) def. Pyper Brown (MSAC), 6-3, 6-1
Mariia Yatsenko (CERR) def. Kristen Canones (MSAC), 6-2, 6-1
Judy Ung (MSAC) def. Stef Flores (CERR), 6-1, 6-0
Tran Bui (MSAC) def. Katia Brambila (CERR), 6-1, 6-2
Merli Alcasid (CERR) def. Ysabella Matute (MSAC), 4-6, 6-1, 6-4