Flores and Hunter Fall in State Elite Eight

Sariah Flores (left) and Armonee Hunter advanced to the Elite Eight of the CCCAA State Championships before falling in the quarterfinals Sunday at West Valley College in Saratoga.
Sariah Flores (left) and Armonee Hunter advanced to the Elite Eight of the CCCAA State Championships before falling in the quarterfinals Sunday at West Valley College in Saratoga.

For the first time in program history, the Ventura College beach volleyball team had a pair advance to the elite eight of the CCCAA State Championships.  Unfortunately for Sariah Flores and Armonee Hunter, thats where the journey ended Sunday.  The Pirate duo fell in the state quarterfinals to a team from San Diego Mesa 21-10, 21-19 Sunday morning in play at West Valley College in Saratoga.

Flores and Hunter, who won two matches Saturday to move to the second day of play at the state championships, fell behind early in the first set 13-6 before losing 21-10.  They came back strong in the second set, however, taking a 12-9 advantage at one point before falling in a closely contested battle, 21-19.

The loss by the Pirate duo ends the 2017 beach volleyball season for VC.  The team won its first-ever Western State Conference championship, and pairs team Tori Hiott and Paris Dosch won the WSC pairs title.  Additionally, Hiott and Dosch, Mikayla Spears and Brianna Finch, and Janessa Simental and Madison Wright joined Flores and hunter at the state championships, with Simental and Wright moving into the round of 16.