Pirates capture state

The Orange Coast College women’s tennis team swept all of its singles

matches and handily defeated Sierra Vista, 5-0, winning its seventh

state title at the California Community Colleges Commission on

Athletics dual team championship Friday at Copper River Country Club

in Fresno.

Defending state singles champion Michelle Esquivel posted an

undefeated record in dual-team singles matches this season following

a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Jenny Sperry in a rematch of a singles final

at the Ojai Valley tennis tournament two weeks ago.

Jessica Rice gave the Pirates (17-1) a second singles point with

her 6-0, 6-2 triumph over Christina Riedel. Emily Paulson downed

Kathy Grajo, 6-2, 6-2, followed by Julie Haley’s 6-1, 6-3 victory

over Chisato Imai. Rachael Sessum secured the clinching point with a

6-1, 7-6 (9-7) win against Brenda Roberts.

OCC won the Southern California title with a 5-2 victory over

Saddleback on Tuesday and then gave head coach Janice Maran her

seventh state championship in 28 years at the helm.

This is the third state championship for an OCC team this season

after the men’s and women’s cross country teams each claimed titles

in the fall.

The men’s and women’s swimming teams are competing at the state

finals this weekend in Pleasant Hill, Calif., while the baseball team

will begin regional playoff action next weekend. Coast’s men’s and

women’s track and field teams will compete in the state meet May

13-14 in Sacramento.