Teresa Downey lost in a battle of left-handers on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the CCCAA Women's State Tennis Tournament. The four-day event is being hosted by The Ojai Tournament for the second straight year.
Downey, seeded 13th, fell behind 5-1 in the opening set and dropped a 6-2, 6-1 decision to Sophia Najera, the No. 9 seed from San Diego Mesa. Downey, who went 13-3 this year, finishes in a tie for fifth in the state.
She's a 46-year-old mother, with a husband (Eric) and two daughters, Zoe (16) and Parker (12). She commuted from Grover Beach to attend classes and play on the SBCC team this year.
"I decided to go back to school because my husband got a transfer and a promotion," said Downey. "Cuesta and Hancock don't have women's tennis, so I came here to play.
"It's been a little crazy but I took some online classes and that helped a lot. The challenge is just time management."
Downey upset the fourth- and fifth-seeded players in straight sets on Friday.
"Most of these girls are half my age," said Downey. "I got a couple of upsets and my body held up pretty well.
"The girl I played today was a good player and I haven't played a lefty all season. And she played a lefty (No. 1 Sarah Anderson of Fullerton, who Najera beat) in her last match, so that wasn't fair."
Downey said she really enjoyed her freshman season.
"When I decided to go out for the team, I just wanted to make the team," she recalled. "So everything has been great. I'm really blessed. I have my friends and family here and my teammates were wonderful."