Badminton Moves To 3-0 In South Coast Standings

Basil Kintanar in action during the Lancers win on Wednesday (photo by Richard Quinton).
Basil Kintanar in action during the Lancers win on Wednesday (photo by Richard Quinton).

The Pasadena City College women's badminton team continues its hold of first place in the South Coast Conference standings with a 21-0 blanking of Compton at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium on Wednesday.

The Lancers are 3-0 in the 6-team, SCC and 3-1 overall. 

Against Compton, sophomore Nikki Chang played at #1 singles and she led the ladder's sweep of matches with two wins. She was followed by #2 Sophie Chao, #3 letterman Basil Kintanar, #4 My Linh Ly, #5 Leslie Lien, and #6 Siya Zhang

Zhang had the hardest time in winning her matches in three sets each over Compton's #5 Melissa Lopez, 21-12, 19-21, 21-19, and #6 Yessica Moreno, 21-10, 18-21, 21-9. 

Ly played in her first match of the year while Zhang played singles for the first time.

In doubles, the #1 duo of Rhea Zou (the team's regular #1 singles) and Ly won two matches as did #2 sophomore Cindy Zhao and her partner Bingbing Ouyang. Ching and Kintanar scored the lone #3 doubles victory. 

"Ly played really well for her first match and I liked how Siya battled her opponents, wanting it and then closing out her wins," said PCC head coach Jen Ho. "The team is starting to shape up and I think we have depth in our ladder."

PCC got a taste of what's down the road as defending state champion De Anza hosted and downed the Lancers, 19-2, in a non-conference match played Mar. 3. Lien and Kintanar scored their lone team points with singles wins over De Anza's #6 player. Ching and Chao may have had the most competitive match of the day in #2 doubles in a 21-17, 21-15 loss to the Lions' #2 squad of Renee Ou and Anna Lao.

The Lancers next travel to face El Camino College in a 2 p.m. conference match on Friday, Mar. 17.