Women’s Tennis: Roadrunners qualify 3 singles, 1 doubles team for State Championships

The 2023 Rio Hondo College women's tennis season will continue on to the State Championships.

After some impressive efforts at the two-day South Coast Conference Championship tournament last week, the Roadrunners will have three singles and one doubles team compete at the CCCAA State Championship tournament scheduled for April 27-30 at the Ojai Valley Tennis Club.  

Making the trip north in singles are sophomores Nikki Lule, Daisy Haro, and Andrea Rodriguez while Lule and Haro will team up to represent Rio Hondo in doubles action.

Lule won three matches over the two days to advance to the South Coast Conference semifinals and punch her ticket to state.

She defeated Abigaile Coronado of College of the Desert (6-2, 6-4) in the opening round, beat Therese Sherwood of Mt. San Jacinto (6-1, 6-0) in Round 2, and won her quarterfinal match against Ayano Tsuchiya of Desert (7-5, 6-3). But her run came to an end with a 6-1. 6-0 loss to Hana Moss of COD in the semifinals.

 Haro won a pair of matches on her way to the quarterfinals and her spot at state. She was a 6-0, 6-2 winner over Aika Rensulat of Victor Valley and defeated Naylea Torres of COD 6-0, 6-1 in the second round. Haro ultimately suffered a 6-0, 6-0 loss to Moss, preventing an all-Rio Hondo semifinal with Lule.

Rodriguez made her way to state through the consolation bracket. She opened with a marathon 6-4, 0-6, 10-8 win against Emily Manning of Victor Valley before falling 6-0, 6-0 to Moss in the second round. But Rodriguez bounced back with a 6-0, 6-1 victory against Torres to qualify for state.

Lule and Haro put together a great run in advancing to the SCC doubles semifinals. They dominated their first two opponents, beating Azalia Rodriguez and Kasandra Gonzalez of Mt. SAC as well as Addysen Walls and Sherwood from Mt. San Jacinto by identical scores of 8-0. They finally lost to Jahday Drewery and Lara Rizkallah in the semis.

The Roadrunners head to the postseason after compiling a 6-6 overall match record and went 3-4 in South Coast Conference play.