Tension builds in playoff push: Corsairs triumph 6-3 over Ventura Pirates

Sophie de Muelenaere, Corsairs and team captain of the Santa Monica College Women’s Tennis team, returns a ball during No.3 singles against Ventura College’s Pirate Kira Branson at Ocean View Park in Santa Monica, Calif. on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. De Muelenaere won her match in two sets 6-6 with a tie breaker 7-1 and 6-4. Corsairs defeated the Pirates 6-3 in the final match in their division of the Western State Conference. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Score board shows final score of No.6 singles 6-4, 6-1 in the victory declaring match between Chandler Nelson, Santa Monica College Women’s Tennis Corsairs and Ventura College’s Pirate Fernanda Gonzales at Ocean View Park in Santa Monica, Calif. on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. Corsairs defeated the Pirates 6-3.

Yulia Klokova, Corsairs of the Santa Monica College Women’s Tennis team, returns a ball during No.2 singles against Ventura College’s Pirate Lola Tonnison at Ocean View Park in Santa Monica, Calif. on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. Klokova lost her match in three sets 6-4, 3-6, 2-6. Corsairs defeated the Pirates 6-3 in the final match in their division of the Western State Conference. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Anne Ozello (L), Santa Monica College’s (SMC) Athletics trainer, wraps ice around SMC Tennis Corsair Zoe Allais’ knee (R) after losing No.4 singles against Ventura College’s Pirate C. Padua 1-6, 2-6 at Ocean View Park in Santa Monica, Calif. on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. Corsairs defeated the Pirates 6-3 in the final match in their division of the Western State Conference. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Tennis ball resting at the net during Santa Monica College Women’s Tennis Corsairs’ final match in their division of the Western State Conference against Ventura College’s Pirates at Ocean View Park in Santa Monica, Calif. on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. Corsairs defeated the Pirates 6-3.

On Tuesday, March 25, the Santa Monica College (SMC) women’s tennis team (8-6) triumphed over the Ventura College (VC) Pirates (7-5) 6-3, keeping their playoff hopes alive. The Corsairs needed a win in their final match in their division of the Western State Conference (WSC) to stay in contention for an at-large playoff spot. The match was filled with tension, competition and an undercurrent of controversy, making it a memorable encounter for both teams.

The Corsairs were dominant in doubles play, sweeping all three doubles matches and setting the stage for success in the singles rounds. Corsairs’ Anaya Ayanbadejo and Sophie de Muelenaere paired up to win No. 1 doubles with a score of 8-2, the same score as for No. 2 doubles played by Yulia Klokova and Yesugen Ganbaatar. Corsairs’ No. 3 doubles partners Sydney Belanger and Chandler Nelson won their match 8-1. 

The Corsairs gained a 3-0 lead heading into singles and continued their momentum, winning three out of the six singles matches, including victories for No. 1 singles, played by Ayanbadejo 6-0, 6-0, No. 3 singles won by De Muelenaere ,6-6, with tiebreaker 7-4, 6-3, and No. 6 singles won by Nelson. 

Nelson, who played No. 6 singles, wrapped up her match defeating her opponent 6-4, 6-1. Her win clinched the decisive fifth point for the Corsairs, securing their victory over the Pirates and ensuring their playoff hopes remained alive.

Corsair Zoe Allais, who just returned to play after a shoulder injury, lost No. 4 singles match 1-6, 2-6 and her teammate Belanger was defeated 0-6, 4-6 in No. 5 singles.

Tension was palpable throughout the match. Both teams understood the importance of the outcome, with the Corsairs needing this win to maintain a realistic chance of moving into the playoffs. The last time these two teams met, the Pirates had narrowly defeated the Corsairs 5-4 in a tightly contested match, further adding pressure. 

However, the match was not without controversy. Ventura’s head coach Nelson Emery raised concerns about Klokova, as she may have violated Code of Conduct after her loss of the No. 2 singles match in three sets 6-4, 3-6, 2-6 against Pirate Lola Tennison. The complaint added a layer of tension to an already-charged atmosphere.

The Corsairs were able to maintain their focus and delivered a solid performance with a 6-3 win, ranking them for now in fourth position of the WSC with overall standings 8-6 in the Western State division. The Corsairs will now shift their attention to their standings in conference, hoping for an outcome that will allow them to secure a spot in the playoffs. The Corsairs are determined to keep their momentum going as they watch the final division results closely.

Now that the regular season has concluded, the Corsairs will head to Ventura College for a four-day WSC Individual Championship on April 1, 3, 4 and 5 with their opponents yet to be determined.