Giants Excel at CVC Tennis Tournament; 12 Athletes Qualify for State
VISALIA, Calif. – College of the Sequoias Tennis delivered a standout performance at the 2024 Central Valley Conference Tournament, held March 27–29 at the COS Tennis Complex. Over the course of three days, the Giants secured 13 postseason qualifiers—six from the women's team and six from the men's—as they punched their tickets to the upcoming CCCAA State Championships in Ojai.
On the women's side, COS qualified four singles players for Ojai: Summer Herrera (Mt. Whitney HS), Sadie Avila (Hanford HS), Jaden Godoy (Dinuba HS), and Ruby Zambrano (Dinuba HS). In doubles, all three COS women's teams earned a spot in the State Tournament. The teams of Sadie Avila / Hannah Salazar (Tulare Western HS), Ruby Zambrano / Jaden Godoy, and Summer Herrera / Mia Orosco (Dinuba HS) will all represent COS in Oxnard.
For the men, COS qualified two singles players: Masen Davis (Hanford West HS) and Kenneth Catalan (Lemoore HS). In doubles, all three COS teams advanced. The pairs of Davis / Catalan, Connor Travis (Lemoore HS) / Yufan He (Mission Oak HS), and Elijah Mendez (Mt. Whitney HS) / Ayden Richmond (Mission Oak HS) all earned their spots at the state championships.
Women's Team Shines in Singles and Doubles
The COS women's team led the way with a dominant effort in both singles and doubles competition. Summer Herrera was the top performer, capturing the Central Valley Conference women's singles championship with four consecutive victories. She opened with a 6-0, 6-0 win over teammate Mia Orosco, followed with another 6-0, 6-0 sweep over teammate Jaden Godoy, then defeated Fresno City's Aubrey Jimenez 6-2, 6-1 in the semifinals. In the final, Herrera claimed the conference title with a convincing 6-4, 6-1 win over Jasmine Palomera of Fresno City.
Mia Orosco defeated J. Ayala of Porterville 6-3, 6-1 in the second round, before falling to Herrera. Jaden Godoy posted a win over Fresno City's Sarah Vor by default, before falling to Herrera. Sadie Avila opened her tournament with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Porterville's D. Nix before being eliminated by Reedley's C. Ramirez. Ruby Zambrano defeated A. Villanueva of Fresno City 6-0, 6-3, then dropped her second-round match to Porterville's M. Etrata. Hannah Salazar posted a dominant 6-0, 6-2 win over G. Johnson of Porterville in the opening round but was also stopped by Etrata in the next match.
In doubles play, COS again proved its depth and chemistry, qualifying all three pairs for state. Summer Herrera and Mia Orosco won the CVC Doubles Championship, beginning their run with a 6-0, 6-0 sweep over M. Estrada and J. Ayala of Porterville, then topping teammates Zambrano and Godoy 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals. They finished off their title run with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Fresno City's top-seeded team of Sarah Vor and Roxie Sandoval. The team of Ruby Zambrano and Jaden Godoy advanced to the semifinals with a 6-4, 6-0 win over C. Ramirez and J. Aguilar of Reedley. Meanwhile, Sadie Avila and Hannah Salazar opened the tournament with a come-from-behind 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over Fresno City's D. Nix and C. Navarro before falling in the semifinals to Vor and Sandoval 6-4, 6-2.
Men's Team Stands Tall in Competitive Field
The COS men's team also impressed, qualifying two singles players—Masen Davis and Kenneth Catalan —and all three doubles teams. Davis earned his spot by defeating Reedley's R. Madding before falling to Fresno City's Robbie Ellis in the semifinals. Kenneth Catalan won his opening-round match 6-4, 6-3 over J. Orozco of Porterville before being eliminated by Reedley's Harley Horton. Connor Travis opened with a dominant 6-1, 6-0 win over M. Rubalcava of Porterville but was stopped by Fresno City's M. McBride. Yufan He (Mission Oak HS) earned a three-set victory over J. Guillen of Reedley 6-0, 7-6 (7-2) before falling to eventual champion J. Cazares of Fresno City. Elijah Mendez (Mt. Whitney HS) was defeated in the first round by Fresno City's R. Alvai-Moghaad 6-1, 6-0, while Ethan Griffith-Jones (El Diamante HS) beat C. Rojas of Porterville 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 before falling to teammate Davis 6-2, 6-3.
In doubles play, Connor Travis and Yufan He won their opening-round match against Porterville's M. Rubalcava and J. Orozco 6-2, 6-0 before falling to eventual CVC champions J. Cazares and M. McBride of Fresno City. The team of Masen Davis and Kenneth Catalan received a first-round bye before being edged out by K. Vankham and S. Campos of Porterville. Elijah Mendez and Ayden Richmond (Mission Oak HS) opened with a 6-4, 6-2 win over C. Rojas and N. Nuno of Porterville but were stopped in the quarterfinals by R. Ellis and J. Wattenbarger of Fresno City.
From the Baseline
Head coach Martin Herrera praised his athletes for their resilience and determination, noting that the Giants played three long days of competitive tennis and executed their strategies well. "We're extremely proud of our athletes and how they performed over three long days," Herrera said. "The women were sharp in their matches and executed our doubles strategies very well. Summer's performance in both singles and doubles was outstanding. On the men's side, we saw great improvement and consistency. Qualifying six men for state—including all three doubles teams—is a testament to the hard work this group has put in all year."
Looking Ahead
With the Central Valley Conference Tournament behind them, the Giants now turn their focus toward the Northern California Team Regional Playoffs, which is set to begin with the Quarterfinal, scheduled for Tuesday, April 8th. COS will look to carry this momentum into the postseason as they compete against California's best collegiate talent.
