The Ventura College men's tennis team used some teamwork to advance to the Southern California semifinals Tuesday afternoon.

Despite dropping the top two singles matches, the undefeated Pirates used their depth to subdue visiting San Diego Mesa, 5-2, in the Southern California dual team playoffs.

"That is our strength," said Ventura coach Nelson Emery. "We're not real top heavy."

Alexandre Piccin, Thomas Millet, Romain Scipione and Pedro Arteaga combined to drop just nine games in sweeping their matches at No. 3, No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 singles, respectively.

"From 3 on down we beat them up pretty good," Emery said.

The doubles tandem of twin brothers Juan and Pedro Arteaga clinched the win by sweeping their match, 6-2, 6-0 while the other two VC doubles teams led their matches after the Pirates clinched the overall victory.

Thousand Oaks High product Rob Diamond was forced to retire in the third set at No. 1 singles, trailing 6-4, 5-7, 1-3, because of cramps.

"That was weird," said Emery. "That's the one guy on our team who can run forever. He's probably the most fit guy on our team."

Ventura (15-0) will host either No. 4 Mount San Jacinto or No. 5 Riverside on Tuesday in the SoCal semifinals.

"Next week is a different beast," said Emery. "That's going to be a big match."

The unbeaten Ventura College men's tennis team has earned the No. 1 seed in the Southern California regional playoffs.

The Pirates (14-0) will host No. 8 San Diego Mesa Tuesday at 2 p.m.

The only other time the team was the top seed under 14-year head coach Nelson Emery, in 2008, it won the state championship.

Thousand Oaks High product Ryan Diamond is Ventura's top singles player. The brother tandem of Juan and Pedro Arteaga, of Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela, feature in doubles.

Should it advance, Ventura would host either Mount San Jacinto or Riverside April 20.

Rival College of the Desert, which is also undefeated, earned the No. 2 seed.

Click here for Keith Kropp's match preview from Tuesday's paper.

Rob Diamond, Juan Arteaga and four others won singles matches in straight sets as the undefeated Ventura College men's tennis team turned back Santa Barbara City, 8-1, Thursday afternoon to clinch its ninth Western State Conference title in 10 years.

Diamond, the sophomore from Thousand Oaks High, beat Nikolay Ivanov at No. 1 singles 6-4, 6-4 as the Pirates (14-0, 8-0) swept all six singles matches. The doubles teams of Thomas Millet-Romaine Scipione and Juan Arteaga-Pedro Arteaga won 9-8 and 8-2, respectively.

Ventura will open the postseason Tuesday by hosting a Southern California quarterfinal match at 2 p.m.

Ashley Litchfield used her head to complete a historic Ventura College women's tennis season.

The sophomore from Acton rebounded from slow starts in both sets to become the first player in school history to win the California Community College women's singles championship Saturday afternoon at Natomas Racquet Club in Sacramento.

Litchfield swept Cerritos' Samantha Nadres 7-6(6-1), 6-1 in the state final to couple her state singles championship with the Ojai singles title she won last month. No VC women had previously won either tournament.

"I got down because I wasn't being very smart," said Litchfield. "The plan was to keep the ball high or low, out of her strike zone, but I was trying to hit it hard and rally with her instead.

"She was outplaying me... Once I started thinking it through more, I was able to come back."

Down 4-0 in the first set, Litchfield won five straight games and dominated the tiebreaker, 6-1.

"She got her bearings straight and came back," said Ventura coach Nelson Emery.

Down 2-1 in the second set, the Quartz Hill High product ripped off five straight games to clinch the state championship.

"First time in school history," said Emery, who is coaching both the men's and women's teams for the first time this season.

Ventura entered Saturday looking for both men's and women's state glory, but Ventura freshman Zach Taylor fell in the men's single final 6-2, 6-4 to Francisco Stuardo of College of the Desert.

"It was a tight match," said Emery. "At the end, he had his chance. If he had gotten into that third set, (Stuardo) was done. He was playing on fumes.

Taylor defeated Stuardo in three sets in the regional round.

"He played well," said Emery of Taylor. "The guy was just on fire, hitting winners everywhere.

"He has a big forehand and he was dictating play with that forehand."

The Ventura College men's tennis team brushed aside visiting Riverside, 5-1, Tuesday afternoon. The defending state champions will visit College of the Desert for the Southern California title Tuesday.