Playing in one of the hubs of beach volleyball, Huntington Beach, the Pirates took two of three matches from Orange Empire Conference foes Friday, narrowly missing the sweep. Ventura (5-4) swept Fullerton 5-0 in the first match of the day before falling to host Golden West 3-2. VC ended the day on a high note, taking the match-up with Santa Ana 4-1. VC's No. 2 team of Mikayla Spears and Brianna Finch, along with the No. 3 duo of Sariah Flores and Armonee Hunter each won all three of their matches on the day.
In the opener, VC bested Fullerton College 5-0. Tori Hiott and Paris Dosch won at No. 1, 21-9, 21-14, and Spears and Finch prevailed at No. 2 21-17, 21-13. Flores and Hunter were victorious in the No. 3 slot, 21-8, 21-10 while the No. 4 team of Janessa Simental and Paulina Iverson triumphed 21-14, 21-11. The No. 5 team of Daisy Martinez and Carina Cates completed the sweep 21-12, 21-10.
Against the host Rustlers, Spears and Finch won 2-0 by scores of 21-15, 21-18 in the No. 2 slot, and Flores and Hunter won at No. 3, 21-15, 21-10. Simental and Iverson at No. 4 and Martinez and Cates at No. 5 both lost by narrow 2-1 margins.
In the Pirates' third match of the day, they defeated Santa Ana 4-1. The No. 2 pair of Spears and Finch won at No. 2, 21-12, 21-12 while Flores and Hunter bested their opponents at No. 3, 21-13, 21-14. Simental and Iverson won at No. 4 21-14, 21-19 and Martinez and Cates won 22-20, 21-18 at No. 5. Hiott and Dosch narrowly missed the Pirate sweep, falling th three sets, 13-21, 21-18, 17-15.
VC returns to the picturesque Harbor Cove Courts at the Ventura Marina for matches against club teams from Los Angeles Pierce and Santa Monica on Friday march 24 beginning at 10:00 am. They open Western State Conference play on Friday April 7, also at home.