Vaqueros Battle Hard but Fall to Ventura

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Santa Barbara City College men's tennis team put up a strong fight but fell 8-1 to Ventura in a WSC North conference matchup on Tuesday.

The lone SBCC victory came from sophomore Mauritz Seitz at the No. 1 singles position in a marathon battle against Ventura's Rafael Matias.

"Both players have excellent mobility, and they tested each other's legs with numerous 30-ball rallies in a grueling three-set contest," said head coach Danny Echt. "Mauritz was able to put some net pressure on Matias in the third-set tiebreaker, which gave him a narrow window to claim the victory. The display of heart, fitness, mental toughness, and sportsmanship from both players was fantastic."

Seitz had three match points before Matias battled back, but on his fourth match point at 13-12, he kept his composure and forced an error to clinch the win. The final score was 3-6, 6-1, 14-12.

In doubles, freshmen Ludi Chan and Loris Alem put together a solid performance but fell 8-6 to Ventura's Beaudry and Vanbesian. The match was tied 6-6 before both teams elevated their level, attacking when opportunities arose and finishing at the net.

"Ludi's leadership on the court today was a highlight," said Echt. "He kept himself and his partner mentally locked in."

With the loss, SBCC falls to 0-3 on the season. The Vaqueros will look to bounce back on Thursday when they travel to Whittier for a non-conference matchup.