Pirate Volleyball Sweeps into 2nd Round

The Ventura College volleyball team posted a hard fought sweep over Mt. San Jacinto in the first round of the 3C2A Southern California Regional Playoffs at the Athletic Event Center Saturday. The Pirates prevailed 26-24, 25-18, 26-24 over the Eagles as Shai Daniels continued her strong season with a double-double of 10 kills and 18 digs. She also served a team-best three aces in the win. Talia Behrens and Daphne Raymond each recorded eight kills in the balanced attack.

The No. 18-seeded Eagles came out on the attack and moved ahead early in the first set. They were able to keep the No. 15 Pirates at bay through most of the set and led 23-17 late. A wide attack and a Daniels kill slowed down MSJC a little, but they still moved to set point at 24-19. Taylor Lane recorded a pair of kills to give VC the momentum. Daniels served three aces to move VC ahead 25-24. Raymond delivered the dagger on set point and Ventura went ahead with a 26-24 set win.

The second set was knotted at 4-4 when the Pirates went on a run. Behrens had a big kill in the middle and Liz Schalde went quick over the net for another winner. Callie Cahill's winner made it 8-4 for VC.Schalde's ace after a MSJC timeout completed the run. Behrens had another winner and Cahill blocked an Eagle attack at the net as Ventura continued to hold their slim advantage through the rest of the set. Daniels hit a winner for a 16-7 lead. Raymond put together a block and a kill for a 21-11 margin and the Pirates led 24-14 before Mt. San Jacinto scored four straight. An Eagle hitting error ended the Pirate skid, however, and gave them the second set, 25-18.

Raymond's block in the third set gave Ventura a 4-2 edge, but Mt. San Jacinto came back to hold an 8-6 lead. The Eagles expanded their advantage to 14-7 before VC began to whittle down the deficit. Raymond's winner on the right side of the net brought the Pirates all the way back to 16-16. The teams were tied at every point from there to 23-23 when MSJC won the point for set point at 24-23. Josephine Rausch hit a winner off of Natalie Bair's assist to hold off set point before Behrens delivered another big swing in the middle. MSJC could not return Makena Schaumloeffel's serve on match point and VC clinched the triumph with another 26-24 set win.

Bair ended the match with 17 assists for VC (16-9) and contributed 14 digs defensively. Bryce Swain totaled 11 digs for the Pirates. Behrens added four blocks at the net while Raymond and Rausch each recorded three. Schalde added nine assists and six digs to the effort and Rausch and Lane totaled six and four kills, respectively.

The Pirates advance to the second round of the playoffs to face No. 2 San Deigo Mesa. The match against the Olympians will be on Tuesday Nov. 26 at 5:00 pm in San Diego.