With their second consecutive South Coast Conference championship staring them in the face, the Cerritos College women’s tennis team moved a step closer with a 5-2 win over Long Beach City College on Tuesday. The Falcons (11-3 overall, 6-0 SCC) have added a non-conference match at Ventura College next Tuesday.

    As they continue to win, Cerritos also continues to move up in the Southern California rankings, as they now sit #8, with all three of their losses coming at teams ranked higher than they are. In fact, two of the three losses were by a 5-4 count.

    In the win over Long Beach City, two of the top singles players in SoCal squared off, with the Vikings Courtney Petero (#6) defeating Falcon sophomore Annika You (John Marshall HS/Cal Poly Pomona), who is ranked #8, by a score of 6-4, 6-4.  In doubles play, You and freshman Gabriela Diaz teamed up for the first time and were defeated, 8-5. They were paired together because the team was without sophomore Sonia Gutierrez (Norwalk HS), who is currently ranked #4 in doubles with You.

    Picking up wins in singles play were sophomore Steffanie Mendez (Bellflower HS), who moved up to the #2 position and posted a 6-1, 3-2 win after Kim Stern had to retire due to an injury. The trio of freshmen Cristina Sanchez (La Mirada HS), Shamariah DeRojas (La Mirada HS) and Tania Garcia (Huntington Park HS) all posted straight set wins.

Singles

Courtney Petero (LBCC) def. Annika You (CERR), 6-4, 6-4
Steffanie Mendez (CERR) def. Kim Stern (LBCC), 6-1, 3-2 ret. (injury)
Elida Gudiel (LBCC) def. Joanna Gonzalez (CERR), 6-0, 6-2
Cristina Sanchez (CERR) def. Lauren Camacho (LBCC), 6-2, 6-2
Shamariah DeRojas (CERR) def. Karen Florez (LBCC), 6-4, 6-4
Tania Garcia (CERR) def. Mary Soeur (LBCC), 6-0, 6-1

Doubles
 

Courtney Petero/Kim Stern (LBCC) def.  Annika You/Gabriela Diaz (CERR), 8-5
Joanna Gonzalez/Shamariah DeRojas (CERR) def. Elida Gudiel/Lauren Camacho (LBCC), 8-6
Steffanie Mendez/Cristina Sanchez (CERR) def. Karen Florez/Mary Soeur (LBCC), 8-2