Averi Carter had a double-double of 10 kills and 10 digs Friday night as the Ventura College volleyball team outlasted visiting Cuesta in four sets, 25-19, 25-21, 26-28, 25-14 before a nice crowd at the Athletic Event Center. Nevada Knowles was her usual multi-dimensional-self with 42 assists, six kills, seven digs, three blocks and three services aces in the triumph while Alexis Baloyo had 11 kills and nine digs for Ventura (10-2, 2-0).
Ventura took an early 8-5 lead in the first set on winners from Darynne Bickers and Katey Mulville. They maintained the margin with a kill and ace from Baloyo and a big hit from Victoria Whitney before Knowles had a block, Carter served an ace and Bickers hit a winner to force a Cougar timeout with VC ahead 19-15. Whitney had a winner when her hit was touched out by Cuesta and the Pirates claimed the first set 25-19.
VB��: Whitney with the kill! @VCVolleyball takes the 1st set over Cuesta 25-19. @vcscolleges @TheAcornSports @cccwvca @ventura_college pic.twitter.com/FOTv0zTnUl
— VCPirateAthletics (@VCAthletics) October 1, 2021
Carter had a pair of kills and Knowles hit a winner to put VC ahead 8-6 in the second set, and the Pirates won a two marathon rallies with winners from Baloyo and Knowles to pull away 13-7. Ventura stretched the lead to 16-8 before the Cougars went on an 8-3 run to close the gap. Whitney hit a cross-court winner from an assist by Amaris Garcia to halt the skid, and Mulville converted a Knowles assist into the set winner for a 25-21 win for Ventura.
VB��: Mulville with the kill, assist to Knowles, and @VCVolleyball takes 2nd set 25-21. ��☠️ lead Cuesta 2-0. @ventura_college @vcscolleges @TheAcornSports @cccwvca pic.twitter.com/0hlZtUIOsQ
— VCPirateAthletics (@VCAthletics) October 1, 2021
The Pirates were looking for the sweep taking an 8-6 lead in the third set on Knowles' tip deep into the corner and service ace. Cuesta rallied, however, moving ahead 11-8. Ventura responded with a soft kill by Whitney, a winner off the touch by Carter, a Miranda DeBeary kill and an ace by Monica Montoya to retake the lead at 14-12. The set was tied at 21-21, and the Cougars scored the next two points and had a set-point at 24-22 before VC came back to knot things up again. Ventura served at match-point, 25-24, but the Cougars answered the bell and eventually claimed the set, 28-26.
It was all Ventura in the fourth set with Baloyo hitting a winner to make the score 12-4. Knowles had a backwards tip on the line and Bickers served an ace for a 17-8 Pirate advantage. Carter had an ace on match-point with VC easily claiming the fourth and final set, 25-14.
VB��: Knowles with a big kill and Carter with the service ace. @VCVolleyball wins 4th set 25-14 over @Cuesta_College and takes match 3-1. @vcscolleges @TheAcornSports @ventura_college @cccwvca pic.twitter.com/5uMssdOasu
— VCPirateAthletics (@VCAthletics) October 1, 2021
Garcia led the defense with 14 digs and Mulville finished with three block assists and eight kills. Whitney also produced eight kills while Bickers had six winners and a pair of aces.
The Pirates, whose No. 20 ranking this past week is surely to rise, will travel to No. 8-ranked Santa Barbara on Wednesday Oct. 6. The match begins at 6:00 pm at the SBCC Sports Pavilion.