The Irvine Valley women’s badminton team completed an undefeated season and won its first California Community College Athletic Association Championship since 2005 with a 16-5 victory over the City College of San Francisco Thursday afternoon at Irvine Valley.

It is the Lasers’ fifth state title overall. They won four straight championships from 2002-2005.

"We are really lucky to have this type of team," Irvine Valley Coach Martin McGrogan said. "This team is on par with our very best teams. The depth this year was exceptional."

Irvine Valley, which won the Orange Empire Conference, finished the season with a record of 10-0.

The Lasers shut out (21-0) seven of their 10 opponents this season.

But San Francisco, winners of the Coast Conference, gave them a battle.

"They are a very good team," McGrogan said of the Rams. "This wasn’t easy."

Irvine Valley was just too strong at the top of its lineup.

Top players Eva Lee, Vimla Phongasavithas, Shannon Hsu and Anoma Phongasavithas didn’t drop a match in either singles or doubles.

Lee and Hsu are previous individual state singles and doubles champions for Irvine Valley. Hsu won the singles and doubles crowns in 2006 and Lee captured both in 2007.

Lee is also one of the top badminton players in the country, having competed for the United States at the Beijing Olympics last summer.

Thursday’s contest was actually her last for Irvine Valley. She will miss this year’s CCCAA singles and doubles tournaments on Friday and Saturday at IVC to play for the U.S. in the Sudirman Cup mixed team event in Guangzhou, China, May 10-17.

She was set to get on a plane later Thursday night after the team championship.

"It was fun coming back to play (at Irvine Valley) this year," Lee said. "All my friends are here. It was relaxing. I had a good time."

It wasn’t much fun for opponents of Lee.

"She works so hard to get fit and stay fit and train for the Olympic team," McGrogan said. "She also works hard as a student. There are a lot of expectations for her. We were very fortunate to have someone of her caliber."

Lee was dominant on Thursday, beating San Francisco’s top player Jing Liang, 21-2, 21-5. She also defeated CCSF No. 2 player Yan Li. Lee won the first set, 21-3, before Li retired because of an injury.

Anoma Phongasavithas won the most important match of the day for Irvine Valley. Phongasavithas, IVC’s No. 4 player, defeated Wendy Zhu in three games (26-24, 18-21, 21-19) to help give the Lasers a 4-2 edge in matches after the first round of singles competition.

Irvine Valley then get doubles wins from Lee and Anoma Phongasavithas and Hsu and Vimla Phongasavithas to take an 8-2 advantage.

In the final round of singles play, Hsu earned IVC’s 12th win, which wrapped up the title, with a 21-13, 21-11 win over San Francisco’s Zhu.

The Lasers won the final two doubles matches to end things.

San Francisco got its points with two singles victories each by No. 5 player Rufina Wu and No. 6 player Jody Chan and a win by the No. 3 doubles team of Janice Wong and Cindy Wong.


Singles- Matches 1-6
#1 Lee (IVC) defeats #2 Li (CCSF) 21-3, retired
#2 V. Phongasavithas (IVC) defeats #1 Liang (CCSF) 18-21, 21-11, 21-14
#3 Hsu (IVC) defeats #4 C. Wong (CCSF) 21-4, 21-6
#4 A. Phongavisithas (IVC) defeats #3 Zhu (CCSF) 26-24, 18-21, 21-19
#6 Chan (CCSF) defeats #5 Duco (IVC) 21-15, 20-22, 22-20
#5 Rufina Wu (CCSF) defeats #6 Le (IVC) 21-8, 21-13