Kitakuni wraps up Pirate career with third-place state finish
OJAI -- It was a solid way to cap off the 2026 season for Orange Coast College women's tennis standout, Mebuki Kitakuni, who advanced all the way to the semifinals of this year's 3C2A Women's Tennis Singles/Doubles State Championships this past weekend at the Ojai Tennis Center.
Kitakuni, who helped lead the Pirates to a 22-2 team record and a trip to this year's State Final Four, worked her way through the early rounds of the singles' draw, topping College of the Canyons' Baylee Renfro (6-1, 6-2) in the Round of 64, Modesto's Caden Wilson (6-0, 6-1) in the Round of 32, Sierra's Emma Patterson (6-2, 6-1) in the Round of 16 and Santa Barbara's Alice Guillaumond (6-2, 6-2) in the quarterfinals.
Reaching the semifinals, Kitakuni took on defending state champion, Mina Koloski of Chabot College. There, Koloski topped Kitakuni, 6-1, 6-1 to return to the state finals, where she successfully defending her singles crown over Emma Chodur of College of the Canyons, 7-6, 6-3.
Kitakuni and her Pirate teammate, Kaylee Ho, advanced to the state quarterfinals with straight-set wins in the Round of 32 (6-2, 6-0) and Round of 16 (6-1, 6-1) before falling to the Canyons' duo of Renfro/Chodur, 7-6, 6-1.
Ho, along with fellow Pirates, Chantel Kamel and Ava Bocek, earned spots on the state singles' bracket with each reaching the Round of 32. Bocek/Kamel also earned a spot in the Round of 32 doubles after a 6-3, 7-5 win.
