For a photo gallery of the match, click here.
COSTA MESA — Once Brittany Bass and Brittnie Furuvald heard a loud scream at Orange Coast College, they knew the Pirates’ undefeated season was over.
It wasn’t a cry for help, just the Grossmont College women’s tennis team celebrating on the court right next to Bass and Furuvald.
The No. 3-seeded Griffins clinched the Southern California Regional Dual Team Championship, beating No. 1 OCC, 5-2, Tuesday.
Bass and Furuvald just let go of their racquets. The freshmen tried to do their part in No. 1 doubles play to help the Pirates (18-1) advance to the state team championship and possibly win the program its 11th state title.
The twosome had Grossmont freshman Vanesa Reibstein and sophomore Brianna McClintock on the ropes. An unfamiliar place for Reibstein and McClintock, who Coach Megan Haber said went into the match 25-0 in doubles action.
Not once had they played a third set until Bass and Furuvald made them Tuesday.
But getting payback on a team that recently beat Bass and Furuvald in the finals at the Ojai Valley Tournament, 6-3, 6-3, and in the finals at the Southern California Regional Individual Championships, 7-6 (3), 6-2, was cut short.
For the Pirates to become this season’s first junior college program to beat Grossmont (17-0) Tuesday, they had to sweep the three doubles matches. They went into the second round trailing the Griffins, 4-2.
Things started out well for OCC, each doubles team split the first two sets. All Grossmont had to do was win one of the doubles matches to qualify for Thursday’s state final at Long Beach City College, where it can add to its 10 state titles.
It seemed automatic for Grossmont with Reibstein and McClintock, the champs at the Ojai and the Southern California Regional individual tournaments.
Bass and Furuvald had other plans. They were on the verge of winning as they were ahead, 4-3, in the decisive set. But Grossmont freshman Danielle Bryan and sophomore Joanna Moya put an end to the title matchup by winning at No. 2 doubles, edging sophomore Evelyn Wallace and freshman Kalin Eshelman, 6-7, 6-1, 6-0.
Bass and Furuvald could only watch what unfolded next. The Griffins rejoiced on the court in which the Pirates owned this year. They really owned most courts, their closest match in Orange Empire Conference play was 8-1.
“It’s really disappointing,” Bass said. “But I think we played really well.”
