Women's badminton team off to flying start
Mar 09, 2009
The Irvine Valley women's badminton team is out to get the state title back this season.
The Lasers are off to a good start, winning their first three matches of the season pretty easy.
They started with a 18-3 victory over San Diego City on the road on March 4. The match featured the two teams that had won the last seven state titles.
Irvine Valley won titles from 2002 to 2005. San Diego City had won the last three state championships.
IVC won 10 of 12 singles contests and all but one doubles match.
Laser No. 1 player Eva Lee, who is coming off competing for the U.S. National team in the Beijing Olympics last summer, swept her two singles contests, 21-4, 21-4, and 21-4, 21-7.
Lee won the community college state singles and doubles titles in 2006 at Irvine Valley.
IVC's No. 2 singles player Vimla Phongasavithas won, 21-12, 21-12, and 21-17, 21-9. No. 3 player Shannon Hsu, who won the state singles and doubles titles in 2007 for the Lasers, won 21-7, 21-6, and 21-9, 21-9, over San Diego City players.
Irvine Valley's Anoma Phongasavithas and Ludie Duco also each won two singles contests for Irvine Valley.
In doubles, Lee and Helen Tung won both of their matches at the No. 1 spot and the team of Vimla Phongasavithas and Rose Gong captured both of its contests.
Irvine Valley then defeated San Diego Mesa, 21-0, last Friday.
Lee, Vimla Phongasavithas, Hsu, Amona Phongasavithas, Duco and Stephanie Le each won two singles matches.
Lee won, 21-3, 21-4, and 21-4, 21-2, and Hsu came out on top, 21-3, 21-2, and 21-1, 21-1.
In doubles, Vimla Phongasavithas and Shelly Stephan won, 21-12, 21-10, and 21-7, 21-4, at the No. 1 position.
At No. 2 doubles, Hsu and Tung won, 21-4, 21-6, and 21-3, 21-4.
The No. 3 team of Gong and Ayako Isshi won its lone match, 21-14, 21-16.
Irvine Valley plays again on Wednesday at Grossmont.