Irvine Valley's women's tennis team lost its Orange Empire Conference showdown at Riverside on Thursday.
Riverside earned a 7-2 win to clinch the Orange Empire Conference title.
The Lasers went into the contest in second place, just a match behind Riverside in the standings.
IVC needed to win to have a shot at sharing the title.
Riverside won four of six matches in singles and all three doubles contests to pick up the victory.
Irvine Valley got singles wins from freshman Tiana Cung and sophomore Parmida Navabsafavi.
Cung beat Marki Cardenas, 6-4, 6-2, at No. 5 singles and Navabsafavi earned a 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 victory over Lacy Patton at No. 6 singles.
The loss dropped Irvine Valley's record to 8-4 overall and 6-2 in conference.
The Lasers can clinch second place outright in conference with a win at Orange Coast next Thursday.
IVC has three matches left in the regular season, playing at Orange Coast next Thursday, at Mt. San Antonio in a nonconference match on March 31 and then at rival Saddleback on April 2.
A second-place finish in conference should get Irvine Valley into the Southern California team regional playoffs, which begin on April 7.
Riverside def. Irvine Valley, 7-2
Singles
1) Acacia Dettman (RCC) def. Renee Walton (IVC), 6-2, 6-4
2) Annely Heinze (RCC) def. Ashley Athanas (IVC), 6-2, 6-3
3) Sheila James (RCC) def. Ruth Chou (IVC), 6-2, 6-1
4) Kelli Reynolds (RCC) def. Marissa Woolsey (IVC), 6-1, 7-5
5) Tiana Cung (IVC) def. Marki Cardenas (RCC), 6-4, 6-2
6) Parmida Navabsafavi (IVC) def. Lacy Patton (RCC), 2-6, 6-2, 7-5
Doubles
1) Heinze/Reynolds (RCC) def. Walton/Cung (IVC), 8-4
2) Dettman/James (RCC) def. Athanas/Woolsey (IVC), 8-3
3) Patton/Cardenas (RCC) def. Chou/Christie Yamasaki, 8-4
