VC Claims Team and Singles Title; Pierce Doubles Championship

The Western State Conference Men's Tennis regular season came to a close recently, with Ventura College claiming their 12th team championship in the last 13 seasons. The Pirates picked up an individual crown when freshman Priyank Soni knocked off teammate and #1 overall seed Solal Cherqui for the 2018 singles title, while LA Pierce College's Gavin Dail and Darvel Lossangoye defeated Soni and teammate Adrien Etiemble for the 2018 doubles title. 

In the team competition, the Pirates cruised to their 17th overall WSC title and fourth straight championship. Ventura finished a perfect 8-0 for the fourth straight season, dropping just one total match in conference play. 

Soni entered the WSC Singles draw as the #6 overall seed and cruised all the way to the semi-finals after knocking off Lossangoye, the #2 overall seed, in the quarterfinals 6-4 and 6-1. In the semis, Soni took on his doubles partner and #7 seed Etiemble, prevailing in three sets 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. In the championship match, Soni once again won a tough one, beating Cherqui 6-4 and 7-5. 

For Dail and Lossangoye, the duo overcame some marathon matches to claim Pierce's first doubles title in recent memory. Seeded #2 headed into the weekend, Dail and Lossangoye scraped past the team of Alexander Martin and Jakob Rinschen 8-5. In the semi-finals, the duo played what would have been the match of the weekend were it not for what awaited them in the championship match. 

Squaring off with Cherqui and Rafael Dunan out of Ventura, the partners jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first set before falling 2-6 in the second. That led to an all out battle in the third set with Dail and Lossangoye finally coming out on top 12-10. Waiting for them was #1 overall seed Soni and Etiemble. Dail and Lossangoye had to go to the well again, winning 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, and 15-13 in what was undoubtedly the match of the weekend.  

2018 Western State Conference Men's Singles and Doubles Championships Results