Vaquero duo comes through
GLENDALE — Sevana Zargarian and Samantha Sismundo couldn’t have asked for better results at the Western State Conference Tournament on Friday.
The Glendale Community College women’s tennis players showed why, as a unit, they are one of the top doubles teams in Southern California, in addition to continuing to be steady in singles.
The third-seeded Zargarian and Sismundo enjoyed plenty of success Friday.
Zargarian and Sismundo moved on to the Southern California Regionals by posting a 6-1, 6-1 victory in a round-of-16 doubles match at Ventura College.
Zargarian, a Clark Magnet High graduate, and Sismundo, a Glendale High graduate, earned a first-round bye and automatically qualified for the round-of-16, which will be played today. However, Zargarian and Sismundo and their Bakersfield opponents agreed to compete on Friday.
Glendale college Coach Bob Donaghy said Zargarian and Sismundo executed when needed in doubles.
“They are one of the top-10 doubles teams in the state,” Donaghy said. “We’ll see what happens.
“They will do well in the regionals. They are very good and getting better.”
Zargarian and Sismundo also moved on to the round-of-16 in singles. Both had first-round byes before winning their second-round battles.
Zargarian, the No. 5 seed, picked up a 6-1, 6-0 victory against a player from Allan Hancock College. The seventh-seeded Sismundo came though with a 6-1, 6-0 win against a player from Santa Barbara City College.
Zargarian and Sismundo will next participate in round-of-16 matches at 12:30 p.m. today. Victories by each would put them in the regionals.
“It was just the first round, it wasn’t that hard,” Zargarian said. “We’re more focused on winning [today], it’s going to be more of a challenge.
“For now, this is kind of a warm-up for us. I’m hoping we can do the same [today].”
Sindi Concebida, Phoebe Minette and Mayra Alvarez participated in singles action Friday for the Vaqueros.
Bothered by a right-shoulder injury, Concebida was able to draw a first-round bye. She then fell in a second-round match, 6-3, 6-1, to a player from Santa Barbara.
Minette also had a first-round bye. She then suffered a 6-1, 6-1 loss to a Bakersfield opponent in the second round.
Like Concebida and Minette, Alvarez had a first-round bye. However, Alvarez was handed a 6-1, 6-1 loss by a Bakersfield athlete.
Minette and Alvarez then competed in a first-round doubles match that lasted more than two hours. The duo fell, 6-3, 6-4, against a team from Santa Barbara.
“That was a great match,” Donaghy said. “They had two break points that would have put them up at 5-3.
“It was just a great match to watch and it’s one that could have gone either way.
“The conference is just extremely tough and there were no real surprises in terms of upsets. It’s a very deep conference.”
The Southern California Regionals will take place May 5-7 at Grossmont College in El Cajon.
