Men's tennis team clinches Orange Empire Conference title

Irvine Valley's men's tennis team continued its dominance of Orange Empire Conference opponents with a 9-0 victory over Orange Coast on the road on Thursday.

The Lasers wrapped up their seventh conference title in the last nine years with the victory. 

IVC has won titles in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, (no champion due to COVID 2020), 2021 and 2022.

Over the last nine seasons, Irvine Valley has a record of 71-4 in conference after the win on Thursday. All four of the Lasers' conference losses came during the 2018 season (two to Cypress and two to Riverside).

Thursday's win improved head coach Ross Duncan's IVC team's record to 8-3 overall and 7-0 in the conference this season.

The win was also Irvine Valley's seventh straight 9-0 victory in conference in 2022.

Irvine Valley received singles wins from freshmen Arthur Bellegy, Julio Vargas, Victor Chaix, Hugo Redelinger, Trevor Quenan and Dylan Edwards.

All of the victories were in straight sets.

Bellegy and Vargas dropped just two games each in singles contests.

Redelinger won, 6-0, 6-0, and Quenan lost only two games in his match.

Irvine Valley started the match with three sweeps in doubles.

The teams of Bellegy and freshman Kiichi Ishida, freshman Luis Moros and Vargas and freshmen Pierre Vandegaer and Inaki Braun Simo each won their doubles matches, 8-0.

Irvine Valley has two matches left on the season.

The Lasers play at NAIA Westcliff University on Mar. 29 at the OC Great Park and then host Saddleback to finish the regular season in a conference match on Mar. 31.