Giants Fall to Fresno City in Conference Matchup 

VISALIA, Calif. – The College of the Sequoias men's tennis team battled hard but came up short against Fresno City, falling 8-1 on February 21 at home. Kenneth Catalan (Lemoore HS) provided the lone win for the Giants with a three-set victory in singles play. 

Doubles Play 

Fresno City came out strong, sweeping all three doubles matches. The No. 1 pairing of Yufan He (Mission Oak HS) and Conner Travis (Lemoore HS) fought through long rallies but ultimately fell 2-8. At No. 2 doubles, Masen Davis (Hanford West HS) and Catalan played competitive, pushing several games to deuce, yet came up short at 2-8. The No. 3 team of Elijah Mendez (Mt. Whitney HS) and Auden Richmond (Mission Oak HS) dropped their match 2-8. 

Catalan's Clutch Singles Victory 

In singles action, Fresno City controlled most of the matches, securing five straight-set wins. Davis fell 6-2, 6-1 at No. 1, while Travis lost at No. 2, losing 6-0, 6-0. He, Mendez, and Griffith suffered straight-set defeats. 

However, Catalan provided a bright spot at No. 6 singles. He took the first set 6-2 before narrowly losing the second in a tiebreak (4-7). With the match on the line, he kept his composure in the decisive 10-point super tiebreak, winning 10-8 to secure Sequoias' lone point. 

Head coach Martin Herrera remained optimistic despite the loss, stating, "Today was a learning experience for us. Kenneth showed great fight in his match, and we need to build on that as we move forward in the season. We are very pleased with how our men's competed for every point in singles and doubles." 

The Giants will look to bounce back in their next matchup as they continue conference play on Tuesday, February 25, when they host Reedley College at 1:00 p.m. 

Match Results 

Singles Results 

• R. Ellis (FCC) def. Masen Davis (COS) 6-2, 6-1 

• J. Cazares (FCC) def. Conner Travis (COS) 6-0, 6-0 

• M. McBride (FCC) def. Yufan He (COS) 6-0, 6-0 

• P. Gorans (FCC) def. Elijah Mendez (COS) 6-0, 6-0 

• J. Wattenbarger (FCC) def. Ethan Griffith (COS) 6-1, 6-0 

• Kenneth Catalan (COS) def. B. Larmond (FCC) 6-2, 6-7, 7-4 

Doubles Results 

• R. Ellis/P. Gorans (FCC) def. Yufan He/Conner Travis (COS) 8-2 

• J. Cazares/M. McBride (FCC) def. Masen Davis /Kenneth Catalan (COS) 8-0 

• J. Wattenbarger/B. Larmond(FCC) def. Elijah Mendez/Auden Richmond (COS) 8-2