The Ventura College volleyball team was five points away from its first trip to the CCCAA State Elite Eight since 2000. It might as well have been 100. VC was leading the visiting College of the Canyons Cougars 20-18 in the third set, ahead in the match 2-0, when a wall went up between the Pirates and Elite status. CoC came back to win the set, and took the final two in a heartbreaking end to a wonderful season for Ventura.
All-everything freshman Nevada Knowles had 43 assists, nine digs and eight kills with a .696 hitting percentage, and Alexis Baloyo recorded 15 kills with six digs, but it was not enough as the No. 10-seeded Pirates (18-7) fell in the CCCAA Southern California Regional Finals 19-25, 16-25, 25-22, 25-18, 15-10 to No. 15 Canyons at the Athletic Event Center Saturday night.
The Pirates were in control early in the match. Savannah Marchese had a pair of service aces for an 11-6 lead and Knowles recorded a kill to make it 14-10, precipitating a Canyons timeout. Bickers and Baloyo combined for a block for an 16-11 margin before a Baloyo tip and a Katey Mulville block forced CoC into another timeout with VC ahead 18-14. Mulville and Baloyo had two more huge swings to make it 22-15, and Victoria Whitney hit a winner to set up set point. The Cougars attack was long on the next rally and VC took the opening set, 25-19.
VB��: Victoria Whitney with a winner, then the @COCAthletics attack is long in set point. @VCVolleyball takes the first set 25-19. @vcscolleges @TheAcornSports @cccwvca pic.twitter.com/yDKwxQIQKl
— VCPirateAthletics (@VCAthletics) November 27, 2021
With Canyons ahead 6-5 in the second set, the Pirates went on a tear, winning eight straight points. Darynne Bickers had a kill, Averi Carter won with a tip, and Knowles had a set across the net to the back corner for a 13-6 VC advantage. Knowles had another cross-net set for a 16-9 lead, and the Pirates built on their advantage, taking the set 25-16 for a commanding lead in the match.
VB��: Bickers from Knowles, blocked out by @COCAthletics. @VCVolleyball takes 2nd set 25-16. ��☠️lead match 2-0. @vcscolleges @TheAcornSports @cccwvca pic.twitter.com/FN7ErvvB5X
— VCPirateAthletics (@VCAthletics) November 27, 2021
The Cougars showed signs of life in the third set, but VC still maintained its control. The Pirates had a 12-10 edge on Baloyo's winner before Canyons went ahead 16-15 to force a Ventura timeout. Bickers hit a winner from Knowles to tie the set at 17, and Knowles had a deep kill and Bickers won with a block for a 20-18 Pirate advantage. Canyons rallied, however, with three straight winners to take a 21-20 lead, and they scored seven of the final nine points of the set to climb back into the match 25-22.
VC still led the match, 2-1, but momentum took a monumental shift toward the navy and gold of the COugars. Canyons was dominant throughout most of the fourth set, taking a 6-1 early lead. Knowles served Ventura back to within 6-5, but CoC reestablished control quickly building a 20-12 lead. The Pirates did sow some signs of life, coming to within 24-18 before the COugars closed out the set to force a fifth.
The Pirates had the early edge in the deciding set as Baloyo had a kill just inside the sideline for a 3-1 advantage, but the Canyons countered with three straight winners. Baloyo's winner tied the score at four, but Canyons won the next three points to take control once again. Despite their best efforts, the Pirates could not climb back into the set, and Canyons clinched the match with a 15-10 set win.
Carter recorded nine kills on the night and Bickers added eight to the effort. Marchese led the defense with 10 digs and Carter added six.
Ventura ends the year in the regional finals for the second time in the past three seasons. They also claimed a share of their second Western State Conference title since 2018 and have showed a promising future for Ventura College volleyball.