The VC volleyball team had a relatively easy time with visiting Cuesta, sweeping past the Cougars 25-16, 25-13, 25-18 Friday evening. Shai Daniels had 11 kills and Josephine Rausch hit nine winners to lead the effort for VC (11-7, 5-2). Liz Schalde handed out 16 assists and Natalie Bair dropped 15 dimes in the triumph, helping the Pirates hit .370 as a team in the match.
After Talia Behrens' kill made it 3-0 early for the Pirates, Cuesta came back to take a 6-5 lead in the first set. Taylor Lane recorded a block for an 8-6 margin for VC before Behrens had a block and Rausch hit a winner to extend the advantage to 11-7. Daniels recorded a huge winner for a 17-11 edge before serving an ace for a 21-14 lead. Rausch's kill advanced Ventura to set point and Callie Cahill put the ball away to clinch the 25-16 set win.
— VCPirateAthletics (@VCAthletics) October 26, 2024
Behrens and Rausch hit winners to begin the second set, then Daniels recorded consecutive kills for a 5-2 Pirate lead. Daniels then hit a pair of aces for a 9-4 advantage forcing a Cuesta timeout. Rausch, Behrens and Daphne Raymond all recorded kills to extend the Pirate edge to 18-8. Daniels had another winner to push the count to 23-12 and Cahill's block secured the set win, 25-13.
A pair of winners from Behrens and two aces from Makena Schaumloeffel led to a 5-0 lead for VC in the third set. Daniels kept things going with two kills at the net and Behrens had a block and a kill back-to-back for a 16-4 lead. Olivia Brown's first kill of the night made it 20-7 before winners from Lexi Brinkman and Schaumloeffel gave Ventura match point, 24-17. Bryce Swain set Schaumloeffel for the clincher and the Pirates took the set 25-18 to sweep.
VB��: @VCVolleyball wins it against @Cuesta_College 25-18.
— VCPirateAthletics (@VCAthletics) October 26, 2024
Pirates take the match 3 sets to 0@vcscolleges @TheAcornSports @cccwvca pic.twitter.com/SmD201WFBv
Behrens finished the night with seven kills and three blocks, two solo, and Cahill hit five winners. Rausch added five aces and eight digs to her performance while Rausch also had eight digs defensively. Swain and Bair each recorded six digs on the back line while Schaumloeffel and Schalde each hit a pair of service aces.
Ventura begins a big stretch of matches on Wednesday Oct. 30 at Moorpark, with contests against Los Angeles Mission and Santa Barbara following. The three teams, along with Ventura are all ranked 17th or better in the state rankings and in a dogfight atop the Western State Conference North Division standings.