Vaquero duo has mixed results
GLENDALE — From their days as a standout doubles team at Glendale High, Glendale Community College women’s tennis players Samantha Sismundo and Sevana Zargarian have been a package deal.
Continuing that trend, they will both make an appearance at the upcoming Southern California Regionals as a doubles team, but only one of the two advanced to the regionals as a singles competitor out of the round of 16 in the Western State Conference Tournament at Ventura College on Saturday.
Sismundo, the No. 7 seed, defeated ninth-seeded Layne Galamore of Ventura, 6-2, 6-2, while fifth-seeded Zargarian fell to 14th-seeded Amy Sagrave out of Santa Barbara City College, 6-4, 6-4.
“I went in with a good mindset, hoping I would win and I started off really well, so I think that’s what kept my momentum going,” said Sismundo, who advanced to the round of 16 on Friday with a second-round victory in which she only dropped one game after enjoying a first-round bye.
Sismundo had already faced Galamore twice this season, losing in the first meeting at home before winning a rematch in March at Ventura.
“I’ve improved so much since the first time I played her,” Sismundo said. “I came in more confident than I did the first time and it really helped my game a lot because I knew that I would be able to keep up with her.”
Glendale Coach Bob Donaghy said Zargarian, who also lost only one set in her second-round win on Friday, which followed a first-round bye, was hampered by a recurring biceps injury during her loss to Sagrave (10-0).
“She had to kind of change her game to accommodate that and she did a pretty good job of it,” Donaghy said. “But Sagrave is pretty good, she hasn’t lost all year. She’s tough to beat, especially if you’re hurt.
“She’s going to have to change her forehand. …The way she hits that forehand, it’s tough on the arm.”
The Southern California Regionals will take place May 5-7 at Grossmont College in El Cajon.
“Sammy has figured it out, plus she and Sevi have been improving the whole year,” Donaghy said of his top doubles pair, which posted a 6-1, 6-1, win on Friday in the round of 16 to qualify for the regionals. “They’re peaking now at the right time. It’s unfortunate that Sevi’s injury has reached the point where it’s so incapacitating.
“But I couldn’t ask for much more, we’re going in two different events to regionals, so that’s good.”