Orange Coast College

Women's Tennis: Pirates' title run ends with loss to Grossmont

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

COSTA MESA -- Much like their matchup two years ago in the playoffs, this was a contest that simply didn't want to end.

However, this year, the Orange Coast College women's tennis team saw their four-and-a-half-hour marathon with Grossmont finish with a different result as the Pirates fell 5-2 in the Southern California Regional Finals on Tuesday at OCC.

It was the first loss of the year for the Pirates (18-1) as the visiting Griffins (17-1) managed to wear down the hosts with a series of long matches.

Back in 2006, it was the Pirates who outlasted the Griffins 5-4 in a contest that nearly reached six hours in length. In that match, three of OCC's wins came in three-set marathons.

On Tuesday, it was the visiting Griffins who went a perfect 3-for-3 in three-setters against the Pirates.

Picking up wins for OCC were Brittnie Furuvald (pictured left) over Danielle Bryan, 6-4, 6-3 and Evelyn Wallace over Joanna Moya, 6-0, 6-1.

Trailing 4-2 after the singles matches, OCC needed three wins in doubles to win. With each doubles match tied at a set apiece, it was going to come down to the third set in each.

Unfortunately for the Pirates, Bryan and Moya avenged their singles losses with a 6-7, 6-1, 6-0 win to end the contest before the final two doubles matches could be completed.

For Furuvald and her teammate Brittany Bass, their season continues at the State Individual Championships, held in Long Beach, beginning on Friday. Both have qualified in singles and in doubles play.