Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

VENTURA, Calif. — The Jessup University men's and women's tennis teams traveled south for a midweek road trip on Wednesday, taking on Ventura College and Cal State Los Angeles. While the Warriors showcased significant grit and secured several individual victories, both squads ultimately fell to their opponents in a pair of hard-fought matches. Men fell to the Ventura College Pirates 4-3 and women fell to CSU Los Angeles 7-0. 

The Jessup men (0-4) came within a single match of their first victory of the season, pushing Ventura College to the limit in a 4-3 thriller. The Warriors dominated at the top of the singles lineup, claiming the first three flights in impressive fashion.

Fifth-year veteran Joren Stevens led the charge at the No. 1 spot, dismantling Ventura's C. Coimbra in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. Junior Vadim Francois followed suit at No. 2, grinding out a tough first-set tiebreaker to defeat Yusei Sato 7-6, 6-1. The most dramatic singles comeback came at the No. 3 position, where Mario Curiel bounced back from an opening-set loss to dominate the remainder of the match, winning 2-6, 6-0, 6-0.

Despite the early lead in singles, the Pirates managed to secure the team victory by sweeping the bottom three flights and claiming the doubles point. Lucas Pham and Leo Pham, who returned to face his former school, battled in the middle of the lineup but were unable to stop Ventura's momentum. In doubles play, the duo of Stevens and Curiel continued their strong chemistry with a win at the No. 1 flight, but Ventura captured the No. 2 and No. 3 matches to steal the opening point.

Earlier in the day, the Jessup women (0-7) faced a formidable NCAA Division II opponent in Cal State Los Angeles. Competing with a shortened roster, the Warriors were forced to concede the No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles flights by forfeit, starting the match at a 2-0 disadvantage.

Freshman Giselli Reschke provided the most resistance for the Warriors at the No. 2 singles flight. Reschke pushed her opponent to the absolute limit in the opening set, eventually falling in a tiebreaker before the Golden Eagle pulled away in the second (7-6, 6-0). At the top flight, sophomore Briana Smith also showed flashes of brilliance in the second set of her 0-6, 4-6 defeat.

Senior Rylie Maloney and fifth-year Danielle Akabane anchored the middle of the lineup, but the Golden Eagles' depth proved too much to overcome as they swept the remaining matches.

The Warriors will continue their road swing this Friday, March 6th, as both men's and women's teams stay in Ventura to take on Biola University. The men's match is scheduled to begin at 10:30 AM with women's tennis following at 1:30 PM.