The Pirates' beach volleyball team split a pair of matched Friday at El Camino College. Ventura dropped the opener against Rio Hondo 3-2 before coming back to defeat the hosts, 4-1. VC's top two pairs of Autumn Rojelio and Kayla Murdoch, and Alba Romanos Gracia and Kylie Ibbotson each won a pair of matches on the day.
In their first match of the day, the Pirates dropped a narrow decision to Rio Hondo, who entered the day unbeaten, 3-2. Murdoch and Rojelio continued their strong season with a 21-14, 21-9 win at No. 1 before the Roadrunners responded with a victory over Skylar Rutherford and Liz Schalde in the No. 5 match. Rio Hondo then took the advantage with a win over VC's No. 3 pari, Bryce Swain and Lily Hazzard, but Romanos Gracia and Ibbotson evened the contest with a 21-19, 21-19 triumph at No. 2. Gracie Piro and Gabby Raines took the first set at no. 4, 21-15, before narrowly falling in the second, 24-22. Rio Hondo then prevailed with the razor-thin 15-13 margin in the third set to clinch the victory over the Pirates.
In the second match, VC responded with a solid 4-1 win over the host Warriors. Murdoch and Rojelio once again finished first with a 21-19, 22-20 triumph and Romanos Gracia and Ibbotson recorded their second victory on the day with a 21-13, 21-19 win at No. 2. Piro and Raines clinched the Ventura match win with a 21-18, 21-17 margin in the No. 4 slot before Swain and Hazzard came from behind to win a three-set thriller at No. 3, 19-21, 21-17, 15-11. Makena Schaumloeffel and Schalde captured their first set at No. 5, 21-17, before falling in the second and third sets to give El Camino one point in the match.
VC (6-4) will open Western State Conference play on Friday March 15 at the Ventura Harbor Cove Courts in a pair of matches hosted by Moorpark. The Pirates will take on Cuesta at 11:00 am followed by a match with Glendale at 12:00 pm.
Ventura 2, Rio Hondo 3
1. Kayla Murdoch/Autumn Rojelio (VC) def. Jaida Zuniga/Jade Fuentes (RHC), 21-14, 21-9
2. Alba Romanos Gracia/Kylie Ibbotson (VC) def. Maleia Petterez/Maria Bejines (RHC), 21-19, 21-19
3. Bryce Swain/Lily Hazzard (VC) lost to Herlinda Casanova/Loren Forster (RHC), 21-19, 21-8
4. Gracie Piro/Gabby Raines (VC) lost to Josie Navarro/Daniela Sanchez (RHC), 15-21, 24-22, 15-13
5. Skylar Rutherford/Liz Schalde (VC) lost to Isabel Villavicencio/Jennifer Reynoso (RHC), 21-15, 21-18
Order of Finish: 1, 5, 3, 2, 4
Ventura 4, El Camino 1
1. Kayla Murdoch/Autumn Rojelio (VC) def. Ryan D'Angelo/Bridget Dorr (ECC), 21-19, 22-20
2. Alba Romanos Gracia/Kylie Ibbotson (VC) def. Erica Griffiths/Sophia Ortiz (ECC), 21-13, 21-19
3. Bryce Swain/Lily Hazzard (VC) def. Bianca Atienza-Perez/Kayla Keyzer (ECC), 19-21, 21-17, 15-11
4. Gracie Piro/Gabby Raines (VC) def. Adelynn Abrams/Perla Lopez (ECC), 21-18, 21-17
5. Makena Schaumloeffel/Liz Schalde (VC) lost to Crystal Salgado/Yasmin Watanabe (ECC), 17-21, 21-11, 15-8
6. Skylar Rutherford/Olivia Brown (VC) def. ECC 6s, 21-13, 21-7
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 4, 3, 5