Irvine Valley shuts out Grossmont to start the playoffs

Irvine Valley's men's tennis team made its first-round playoff match on Tuesday against Grossmont a quick one.

IVC, seeded first in the CCCAA dual team Southern California regional playoffs, won the first five matches played to earn a 5-0 win over the No. 6 Griffins.

Irvine Valley is trying to get back to the State Championship where it lost in the final last season to Fresno City.

"We have an opportunity to make history this year at IVC," Laser coach Ross Duncan said. "We need to keep fighting, working hard, focusing on our games and getting better to make it happen."

It was the second victory for Irvine Valley over Grossmont this season. IVC knocked off Grossmont, 6-3, in a dual match earlier in the year.

Tuesday's win improved Irvine Valley's record to 15-1 overall with the one blemish being a defeat to NAIA four-year school Concordia.

The Lasers will move on to face San Diego Mesa next Tuesday in a regional semifinal. San Diego Mesa topped Ventura, 5-3, on Tuesday.

Irvine Valley started Tuesday's match against Grossmont with three wins in doubles, including a dramatic one to finish the round.

The No. 3 team of freshmen Carson Williams and Scott Paz had an easy time, winning, 8-0.

Irvine Valley's No. 1 team of sophomores Guillermo Ucelay and Simon Guillin, won, 8-2, over Grossmont's Morgan Peyre and Siggy Menzel.

The second doubles match was back and forth with IVC's team of freshman Valentin Baize and sophomore Max Rumeau pulling out a 9-7 win over Grossmont's Juan Pedro Reyes and Ryan Ray.

"Max and Valentin went out and worked hard on their own over the weekend and it paid off big time today," Duncan said.

As Baize and Rumeau were finishing up their energetic win at No. 3 doubles, Laser singles players Williams and freshman Bruno Figlia were putting the finishing touches on wins to help IVC seal the overall match.

Williams won, 6-0, 6-0, at No. 4 singles and shortly after Figlia came through with a 6-1, 6-0 victory to clinch the match for the Lasers.

The rest of the singles matches were halted.

Grossmont finished its season with a record of 12-7 overall.

Irvine Valley def. Grossmont, 5-0

Doubles

1) Guillermo Ucelay/Simon Guillin (IVC) def. Morgan Peyre/Siggy Menzel (GC), 8-2

2) Valentin Baize/Max Rumeau (IVC) def. Juan Pedro Reyes/Ryan Ray (GC), 9-7

3) Scott Paz/Carson Williams (IVC) def. Lawrence Liu/Patrick Timmons (GC), 8-0

Singles

1) Ucelay (IVC) vs. Peyre (GC) unfinished

2) Guillin (IVC) vs. Reyes (GC) unfinished

3) Flavien Raveau (IVC) vs. Menzel (GC) unfinished

4) Williams (IVC) def. Liu (GC), 6-0, 6-0

5) Tony Selim (IVC) vs. Ray (GC) unfinished

6) Bruno Figlia (IVC) def. Didier de Dolodot (GC), 6-1, 6-0