The Ventura College men's tennis team clinched its first state championship Thursday afternoon.

The doubles team of Matthias Muster and Alexandre Rigobello defeated Charles Nguyen and Ben Fernandez 6-3, 6-1 to clinch Ventura's 5-2 win over Fresno City College Tuesday afternoon at El Dorado Tennis Center in Long Beach.

Ventura's two other doubles teams were also up a set at the moment the title was clinched.

Fresno had defeated Ventura in its previous state dual team final, 5-2, in 2004.

Coach Nelson Emery, less than a year after suffering a life-threatening neck injury, earned Ventura College's lucky 13th state championship.

His program joins men's basketball ('51, '52, '87, '95, '96), women's basketball ('95, '96, '99, '00, '01), men's swimming ('05) and women's cross country ('82 small schools) as the fifth VC program to capture state glory.

Unable to hide a wide smile, Emery earned a final cheer from his state champions and a surprise ice-water shower from Diego Almeida and Ben Steensland.