Irvine Valley's athlete of the week for Apr. 27 is freshman men's tennis player Philip Neuman.
He starred over the last week. Neuman helped IVC win its second 3C2A state team title in a row Wednesday and then went on to take the state singles title with a victory over teammate Steven Anderson on Sunday at Libbey Park in Ojai.
Neuman did not lose a set on his road to the title.
The final took place under ideal conditions, with a beautiful day occasionally interrupted by passing clouds and light wind, perfect for high-quality tennis.
Neuman came out firing, breaking early to take a 2–0 lead.
In the tiebreak of the first set, he focused his first serve, allowing him to dictate play with aggressive follow-up shots - an adjustment from earlier in the match.
After earning a mini-break, he maintained control and closed out the tiebreak 7–4.
Neuman raised his level in the second set and won the match, 7–6, 6–3.
Neuman also helped IVC capture the Ojai Cup with the most points for a men's community college team.
He led the Lasers to another Orange Empire Conference title with a final overall record of 14-1 overall.
