The Pirate volleyball team outlasted Cuesta College Wednesday, defeating the Cougars in five sets, 21-25, 25-23, 25-16, 23-25, 15-9, in San Luis Obispo. Talia Behrens led the effort with 10 kills, hitting a .588 percentage, and four service aces in the triumph. Callie Cahill recorded 13 winners and Natalie Bair handed out 22 assists. Shai Daniels had nine winners with 22 digs and Bryce Swain tallied 16 digs defensively.
Ventura (7-5, 1-0) dropped the first set of the match 25-21 before scoring 14 kills and four blocks in edging the Cougars in the second set, 25-23. The Pirate serve caught fire in the third set with seven aces en route to the 25-16 win before Cuesta came back to force the fifth set, taking the fourth 25-23. VC clinched the victory with a 15-9 triumph in the deciding set.
Makena Schaumloeffel recorded eight kills, 13 digs and three aces and Callie Cahill had three blocks for the Pirates. Taylor Lane led the defense at the net with five blocks and also hit five winners. Josephine Rausch contributed five kills and nine digs and Skylar Rutherford handed out 17 assists with eight digs and a pair of aces.
Ventura returns home on Friday Oct. 4 hosting Moorpark at 6:00 pm.