Manteca dropped three tightly-contested singles matches on Monday, and that proved to be the difference in its 7-2 loss to No. 2-seeded Oakdale in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV semifinals.

It was a rematch of the 2019 championship won by Manteca.

“I was proud of the way our guys competed and showed a level of sportsmanship,” Manteca coach Frank Fontana said. “We are young with five freshmen, four of whom picked up a racquet in February. We will be back next year even better. The objective is to get better as athletes, and I can honestly say we have over the course of the season.”

The Valley Oak League doubles champions earned the two points for the Buffaloes. Jonas Mueller overcame a shaky second set and took care of VOL singles champ Caleb Poling, 6-0, 5-7, 6-1. At No. 2 singles, Yok Chai Ma blanked Jackson Healy, 6-0, 6-0.

Manteca forfeited the No. 3 doubles match, but this one was going to be decided on the back end of the singles ladder anyway.

Ivan Barajas lost to Ryan Krause 0-6, 4-6 in the No. 3 match. The rest were heartbreakers: No. 4 Emiliano Hurtado came up short against Alex Tangle, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 (8); No. 5 Luke Samson fell to Ethan Dingu, 3-6, 5-7; and No. 6 Michael Osanna was defeated by Carson Stueve, 7-5, 3-6, 5-7. In the No. 5 matchup, Dingu came back from a 3-5 deficit to take the second set and secure the win.

Michael Levchenko and Landon Butler dropped the first doubles match, 2-6, 4-6. Declan Edwards and Vincent Almeida lost the No. 2 contest, 1-6, 2-6.

Mueller and Ma will next compete in the SJS Division II Individual Tournament as doubles partners next Monday and Tuesday at Johnson Ranch Racquet Club in Roseville.