The Long Beach City College women's tennis team closed out a tough week of action with consecutive losses. On Thursday, LBCC suffered a 9-0 South Coast Conference loss at Rio Hondo College and then played visiting Orange Coast College to a 7-2 non-conference defeat on Friday.
Despite being swept, the Vikings put up a fight against Rio Hondo. At No. 3 singles, sophomore Jasmine Hyacinth (Mayfair HS) pushed Rio Hondo's Delia Hidalgo to three sets but fell 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. And at No. 6 singles, freshman Kelly Zellner (Lakewood HS) also went to three sets, but lost 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to Rio Hondo's Monica Rojas. Freshman Mimi Mercado (Artesia HS) nearly went three but suffered a 6-1, 7-6 (5) defeat at No. 2 singles to Trecia Gonzaga.
In the loss vs. Orange Coast, Long Beach picked up a pair of wins but also lost two matches by default. Zellner earned the Vikings' lone singles win, as she picked up a 7-5, 6-1 decision at No. 5 singles over OCC's Jade Orman. And at No. 2 doubles, the duo of Brittany Ruelas (Downey HS) and Maria Gonzalez (Norwalk HS) beat Ivana Kovacevic and Pietra Ferreira Pereira of Orange Coast by a final score of 8-4.
Long Beach, now 1-10 overall and 1-5 in the SCC, returns to action on Thursday (Mar. 10) when the Vikings travel to Victor Valley College for a 2 p.m. conference match.
Women's Tennis Box Score
Rio Hondo College 9, Long Beach City College 0
March 3, 2016 @ Rio Hondo College
1. Nicole Robbins (RHC) def. Dolores Cervantez (LBCC): 6-2, 6-1
2. Trecia Gonzaga (RHC) def. Mimi Mercado (LBCC): 6-1, 7-6 (5)
3. Delia Hidalgo (RHC) def. Jasmine Hyacinth (LBCC): 6-1, 4-6, 6-4
4. Diana Laureano (RHC) def. Maria Gonzalez (LBCC): 6-4, 6-2
5. Alejandra Vasquez (RHC) def. Brittany Ruelas (LBCC): 6-0, 6-1
6. Monica Rojas (RHC) def. Kelly Zellner (LBCC): 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
DOUBLES
1. Robbins/Hidalgo (RHC) def. Hyacinth/Mercado (LBCC): 8-2
2. Gonzaga/Roxanne Valverde (RHC) def. Ruelas/Gonzalez (LBCC): 8-4
3. Laureano/Vasquez (RHC) def. Cervantez/Zellner (LBCC): 8-0
Records: Rio Hondo 2-6, 1-4 SCC; Long Beach 1-9, 1-5 SCC
Women's Tennis Box Score
Orange Coast College 7, Long Beach City College 2
March 4, 2016 @ LBCC
SINGLES
1. Karen Trinh (OCC) def. Mimi Mercado (LBCC); 6-2, 6-2
2. Lauren Saito (OCC) def. Jasmine Hyacinth (LBCC); 6-1, 6-2
3. Charli Crites (OCC) def. Maria Gonzalez (LBCC); 7-6, 6-4
4. Yuka Tsukada (OCC) def. Brittany Ruelas (LBCC); 6-0, 6-1
5. Kelly Zellner (LBCC) def. Jade Orman (OCC); 7-5, 6-1
6. Kaitlyn Dahlberg (OCC) won by default; 6-0, 6-0
DOUBLES
1. Clarisa Colling/Dahlberg (OCC) def. Hyacinth/Mercado (LBCC); 8-1
2. Ruelas/Gonzalez (LBCC) def. Ivana Kovacevic/Pietra Ferreira Pereira (OCC); 8-4
3. Trinh/Tsukada (OCC) won by default; 8-0
Records: Orange Coast 8-1; Long Beach 1-10