New 2017 season, same dominant Irvine Valley men's tennis team.
The Lasers, who are the two-time defending CCCAA state champions, opened their campaign on Tuesday with an emphatic 9-0 victory over four-year university Hope International at home.
Irvine Valley won all six singles matches in straight sets and most were easy.
After taking all three doubles matches, including having the No. 2 team of freshmen Wyatt DeMulling and Chris Politiek win, 8-0, the Lasers kept on rolling in singles.
DeMulling, a top recruit out of the Northwest region, battled through a slow start in his No. 1 singles match to beat Kyle Rae. DeMulling was down, 3-1, before rallying to win the first set, 7-5. Rae had to retire before starting the second set.
IVC sophomore Lucas Lesoeur, who played at Cal Poly last year, picked up steam as the match went on and defeated Mauricio Mosquera, 6-4, 6-2.
Sophomore defending state singles champion Javier Callejo, cruised in his No. 3 singles match, 6-2, 6-0, against Adrien Varenne.
Politiek had an even easier time at the fourth singles position, winning, 6-0, 6-1, over Avi Bami.
Freshman Leszek Mirecki won, 6-4, 6-1, at No. 5 singles and sophomore Gavin Lynch came out on top, 6-1, 6-1, at the sixth spot to round out the Lasers' impressive first match effort.
Irvine Valley, which was ranked No. 1 in the ITA preseason poll for Southern California, is expected to get a firm test in its next match. The Lasers take on second-ranked in So. Cal. Cerritos next Tuesday at 2 p.m.
Singles
1) Wyatt DeMulling (IVC) def. Kyle Rae (HIU), 7-5, ret.
2) Lucas Lesoeur (IVC) def. Mauricio Mosquera (HIU), 6-4, 6-2
3) Javier Callejo (IVC) def. Adrien Varenne (HIU), 6-2, 6-0
4) Chris Politiek (IVC) def. Avi Bami (HIU), 6-0, 6-1
5) Leszek Mirecki (IVC) def. Sergio Romero (HIU), 6-4, 6-1
6) Gavin Lynch (IVC) def. Gabriel Bazaretti (HIU), 6-1, 6-1
Doubles
1) Lesoeur/Callejo (IVC) def. Rae/Varenne (HIU), 8-3
2) DeMulling/Politiek (IVC) def. Bami/Bazaretti (HIU), 8-0
3) Mirecki/Lynch (IVC) def. Romero/Mosquera (HIU), 8-3
