The VC men's water polo team opened their 2022 campaign Friday at the Central Coast Invitational hosted by Cuesta College. The Pirates dropped a pair of matches, falling to West Valley and Merced. Michael Andrews scored three goals with a pair of assists on the day to lead the VC effort.
Ventura 3, West Valley 22
The Pirates were faced with a difficult task in the opener against West Valley, the No. 2-ranked team in the state. The Pirates found little traction against the Vikings in the setback. Andrews, Alexis Nava and Joe Lowry all scored for Ventura while Hunter Johnson and Sebastian Cornejo each grabbed a pair of steals.
Ventura 6, Merced 15
VC dropped their second game of the day against Merced, 15-6. Andrews scored a pair of goals with an assist while Lowry also scored twice. Nava found the cage once with two helpers and Cornejo and Johnson paced the defense with three and two steals, respectively. Goaile Sebastian Ayala turned back eight shots.
VC concludes play in San Luis Obispo with two more games Saturday Sept. 24 before hosting their home opener on Wednesday Sept. 28 at the Ventura Aquatic Center.