Men's tennis team knocked out of regional playoffs by COD

Men's tennis team knocked out of regional playoffs by COD

The team season for Irvine Valley men's tennis came to an end on Tuesday.

The No. 2 Lasers fell to third-seeded College of the Desert, 5-2, in the second round of the Southern California Regional Dual Playoffs at home.

It was the second straight season that COD knocked the Lasers out of the postseason.

Irvine Valley, which had won 12 straight matches, finished its team season with a record of 12-2 overall. The Lasers won the Orange Empire Conference title this year.

But the Roadrunners were better on Tuesday.

College of the Desert won two of three doubles matches to start things off.

The Lasers did pick up a win in doubles from its No. 3 squad of sophomore Ardi Safi and freshman Rodrigo Souza.

But COD captured the first two singles contests to take control and move ahead, 4-1.

IVC stayed alive with a hard-fought, straight-set victory from freshman Julian Lafond on the third court.

But The Roadrunners closed the match out with a win on the fourth court with Saar Rogovski defeating Irvine Valley freshman Derek Lin.

Irvine Valley now moves on to competing in individual competition at the CCCAA State Championships in singles and doubles at Ojai next week.

IVC had a number of players qualify for the event. In singles, the Lasers will be represented by sophomore Leszek Mirecki, freshman Parker McBride, Lafond, Souza and Safi.

And in doubles, Irvine Valley will have the teams of Leszek and Lafond, McBride and Lin and freshman Mateo Maya and sophomore Thallys Santos competing.

College of the Desert 5, Irvine Valley 2

Doubles

1. Kalman Boyd/Alex Kuperstein (COD) def. Leszek Mirecki/Julian Lafond (IVC), 8-1

2. Manfred Vogt/Gomez Romero (COD) def. Parker McBride/Derek Lin (IVC), 8-4

3. Ardi Safi/Rodrigo Souza (IVC) def. Saar Rogovski/Amir Hosain (COD), 8-1

Singles

1. Boyd (COD) def. Mirecki (IVC), 6-0, 6-1

2. Kuperstein (COD) def. McBride (IVC), 6-0, 6-2

3. Lafond (IVC) def. Vogt (COD), 7-6, 6-4

4.  Rogovski (COD) def. Lin (IVC), 7-6, 6-1

5. Safi (IVC) vs. Romero (COD), unfinished

6. Souza (IVC) vs. Hosein (COD), unfinished