Rulan and Rulien Yeh, identical twins, are nearly impossible to tell apart up close or on the badminton floor. The Irvine Valley College pair and former University High students became double trouble for DeAnza as the Lasers won their second consecutive state title, 18-3, in the California Community Colleges Commission on Athletics Badminton Championships last Thursday at Pasadena City College.
The Yehs each swept two singles matches and teamed together to take two doubles contests to score nearly half of Irvine Valley’s points in the finals match. Irvine Valley went undefeated for the second consecutive season, finishing at 16-0. The Lasers have won 31 consecutive matches since the start of the 2002 season.
DeAnza finished the year at 8-1, having previously played against only Northern California competition.
"Irvine Valley is the strongest team I’ve seen in the four years since (the sport became intercollegiate)," DeAnza Coach Michael Gervasoni said.
"From player one to player nine they have solid players who have all good badminton experience outside of the college arena. We were missing our No. 3 player because she was taking midterms, but it wouldn’t have mattered in the outcome."
Despite the 15-point difference in victory, Irvine Valley Coach Martin McGrogan praised his finals opponent.
"They extended us to three games in several of the matches," McGrogan said. "DeAnza was certainly the most competitive team we faced this season. We have great depth with 10 players on the team, including five returning players from last year’s state champion. The Yehs are freshmen and just super kids with a good deal of talent."
Rulien Yeh, seeded No. 2 for the match, had an early key win against DeAnza’s No. 1 player Erica Lin in the first round, 11-7, 13-10. Yeh fought back from a 10-4 deficit to win the second and final game.
"I was nervous because I felt I might lose that second game," Yeh said. "I started smashing the (birdie) and that starting working for me."
Besides the Yeh sisters, Irvine Valley’s Brita Kjalstrom, Jenna Chiu and Jamie Gong all won two singles matches, while Midori Tanaka split her pair of singles. DeAnza’s only singles win was recorded by No. 5 Connie Wong against Tanaka, 11-6, 11-1. Chiu had a marathon win over Phung Lau in No. 4 singles, 11-5, 11-13, 11-6.
In doubles, the Yehs made quick work of Lin and Liz Nguyen, 11-2, 11-2, in No. 1 play, and also downed the DeAnza No. 2 team of Lau and Phoung Ho, 11-8, 11-2. The Irvine Valley teams of Chiu and Suzanne Wong, and Kitty Yee Wong and Grace Leung each scored a doubles win.
The Yeh sisters went on to capture the state doubles crown in the individual tournament held on Friday in Pasadena.
The No. 1-seeded Yeh sisters won the title by sweeping De Anza’s team of Lin and Liz Nguyen, 11-3, 11-0.
The Yehs were equally dominating in outscoring opponents, 88-14, in four total match wins. Lin-Nguyen made it to the finals with an exciting 11-7, 8-11, 11-3 win over Irvine Valley’s Jennifer Chiu and Suzanne Wong.
Both Rulien and Rulan fell in the singles competition to the eventual champion, Minako Akiyama of El Camino. Rulien lost to the un-seeded Akiyama in the quarterfinals, while Rulan was beaten in the finals, 11-3, 11-5.