Corsairs' dreams shattered in semifinals

Anaya Ayanbadejo, Corsair of the Santa Monica College Women’s Tennis team and seeded #3 in the Western State Conference Tennis Championship, focuses on the ball during her quarter-final singles match against Vaqueros Katie Brown of Santa Barbara Community College on Friday, April 4, 2025, at Ventura College Tennis Center in Ventura, Calif. Ayanbadejo defeats Brown in two sets 6-1, 6-0 and advances to the semi-finals. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Anaya Ayanbadejo, Corsair of the Santa Monica College Women’s Tennis team and seeded #3 in the Western State Conference Tennis Championship, sets the score board for the win of her first game point on day three during her quarter-final singles match against Vaqueros Katie Brown of Santa Barbara Community College on Friday, April 4, 2025, at Ventura College Tennis Center in Ventura, Calif. Ayanbadejo advances to the semi-finals with a win in two sets 6-1, 6-0. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Anaya Ayanbadejo, Corsair of the Santa Monica College Women’s Tennis team and seeded #3 in the Western State Conference Tennis Championship, returns a ball with her forehand during her quarter-final singles match against Vaqueros Katie Brown of Santa Barbara Community College on Friday, April 4, 2025, at Ventura College Tennis Center in Ventura, Calif. Ayanbadejo defeats Brown in two sets 6-1, 6-0 and advances to the semi-finals. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Anaya Ayanbadejo (left), Corsair of the Santa Monica College Women’s Tennis team, discusses strategy with Head Coach Richard Goldenson (center) and Assistant Coach Ron Hightower (right), during her semi-final singles match against Breanna Hiebert, Renegade of Bakersfield College of the Western State Conference Tennis Championship at Ventura College Tennis Center in Ventura, Calif., on Friday, April 4, 2025. Ayanbadejo won the first set but was defeated 6-3, 3-6, 0-6 by Hiebert. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Anaya Ayanbadejo, Corsair of the Santa Monica College Women’s Tennis team and seeded #3, serves during her semi-final singles match against Breanna Hiebert, Renegade of Bakersfield College and seeded #2, of the Western State Conference Tennis Championship at Ventura College Tennis Center in Ventura, Calif., on Friday, April 4, 2025. Ayanbadejo won the first set but was defeated 6-3, 3-6, 0-6 by Hiebert. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Yesugen Ganbaatar, Corsair of the Santa Monica College Women’s Tennis team, returns a ball with her forehand alongside her double partner Anaya Ayanbadejo during their quarter-final doubles match against Ventura College’s Pirates Nicole Iannacone and Kira Branson of the Western State Conference Tennis Championship at Ventura College Tennis Center in Ventura, Calif., on Friday, April 4, 2025. The Corsairs seeded #3 defeated the Pirates 8-4 and advanced to next day’s semi-finals facing seeded #2 doubles. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Anaya Ayanbadejo, Corsair of the Santa Monica College Women’s Tennis team and seeded #3, signals a ball out during her semi-final singles match against Breanna Hiebert, Renegade of Bakersfield College and seeded #2, of the Western State Conference Tennis Championship at Ventura College Tennis Center in Ventura, Calif., on Friday, April 4, 2025. Ayanbadejo won the first set but was defeated 6-3, 3-6, 0-6 by Hiebert. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Yesugen Ganbaatar, Corsair of the Santa Monica College Women’s Tennis team, serves alongside her double partner Anaya Ayanbadejo during their quarter-final doubles match against Ventura College’s Pirates Nicole Iannacone and Kira Branson of the Western State Conference Tennis Championship at Ventura College Tennis Center in Ventura, Calif., on Friday, April 4, 2025. The Corsairs seeded #3 defeated the Pirates 8-4 and advanced to next day’s semi-finals facing seeded #2 doubles. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Anaya Ayanbadejo (L), Corsair of the Santa Monica College Women’s Tennis team, and double partner Yesugen Ganbaatar (R) wait for the return of their opponent during their quarter-final doubles match against Ventura College’s Pirates Nicole Iannacone and Kira Branson of the Western State Conference Tennis Championship at Ventura College Tennis Center in Ventura, Calif., on Friday, April 4, 2025. The Corsairs seeded #3 defeated the Pirates 8-4 and advanced to next day’s semi-finals facing seeded #2 doubles. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

(L-R) Santa Monica College Women tennis team’s Corsairs, Anaya Ayanbadejo, Sydney Belanger, Head Coach Richard Goldenson, Yesugen Ganbaatar, Sophie de Muelenaere and Assistant Coach Ron Hightower gather before the start of the Quarter-Finals of the Western State Conference Tennis Championship hosted by Ventura College at the Tennis Center in Ventura, Calif., on the third event day on Friday, April 4, 2025. This annual competition highlights men and women’s singles and doubles during a four-day event. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

The trainer (L) of the Western State Conference (WSC) Tennis Championship tapes the ankles of Yesugen Ganbaatar (R), Corsair of the Santa Monica College Women’s Tennis team, before her quarter-final doubles match with her double partner Anaya Ayanbadejo at Ventura College Tennis Center in Ventura, Calif., on Friday, April 4, 2025. The Corsairs seeded #3 defeated the Pirates 8-4 and advanced to next day’s semi-finals facing seeded #2 doubles. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Anaya Ayanbadejo, Corsair of the Santa Monica College Women’s Tennis team and double partner of Yesugen Ganbaatar, records their quarter-final doubles win and score on the board after their match against Ventura College’s Pirates Nicole Iannacone and Kira Branson of the Western State Conference Tennis Championship at Ventura College Tennis Center in Ventura, Calif., on Friday, April 4, 2025. The Corsairs defeated the Pirates 8-4 and advanced to the next day’s semi-finals facing seeded #2 doubles. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

The Western State Conference Tennis Championship is hosted by Ventura College at the Tennis Center in Ventura, Calif., on Friday, April 4, 2025. This annual competition highlights men and women’s singles and doubles during a four-day event. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

On Friday, April 4, the third day of the Western State Conference Tennis Championship brought high expectations for the Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsairs, with Anaya Ayanbadejo seeded No. 3 in both singles and doubles with her partner Yesugen Ganbaatar. Ayanbadejo, feeling the weight of the pressure, entered the singles semifinals determined to surpass her performance from the previous year. 

Facing Breanna Heibert, the No. 2 seed from Bakersfield College (BC), Ayanbadejo fought hard, but was defeated after three sets 6-3, 3-6, 0-6. Before going into the match, Ayanbadejo stated, “I am feeling pressure to perform as well as last year or even better.” 

Ayanbadejo had to balance the fierce competition of both singles and doubles where she and her partner Ganbaatar were also contenders.

Ayanbadejo’s journey that day was nothing short of a marathon. Not only did she battle through the quarterfinals and semifinals in singles, but she and Ganbaatar also took on the doubles matchup in the quarterfinals. 

Their win in the doubles matchup was a hard-fought 8-4. Ganbaatar, struggling with ongoing injuries, played through the pain. 

However, on April 5, the Corsairs faced the No. 2 seeded doubles team from Santa Barbara Community College (SBCC) in the semifinals. Despite their best efforts, Ayanbadejo and Ganbaatar lost in two sets 1-6, 2-6, unable to match the intensity of their opponents.

Despite the defeat in semifinals, the Corsairs’ journey isn't over. Their performance at the Western State Conference Championship earned them a spot in the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Championships competition, which will be hosted at The Ojai Valley Tennis Club from April 23 — 26.

CCCAA finals and various junior divisions will take place on Sunday, April 27. With all three doubles teams and both Ayanbadejo and Sophie de Muelenaere qualifying for singles by competing in the Round of 16, the Corsairs have another opportunity to show their strength and determination. 

While their dreams of a championship victory may have been shattered in the semifinals, their eyes are now set on The Ojai Tennis Tournament, where they will fight on the grand stage.