The VC women's water polo team battled, but fell in the Western State Conference Championship to top-seeded Santa Barbara Saturday in San Luis Obispo. Daphne Neilan and Gabrielle MacNeill each scored goals for the Pirates (15-10, 4-3) but it was not enough to keep up with the state's No. 1-ranked team. Neilan, Emily Baughn and Caitlyn Hilgenberg all pulled in two steals each.
Neilan netted a score with 5:27 remaining in the first quarter to cut the SBCC lead to 2-1 and MacNeill's goal came at the 5:05 mark of the second to make it 5-2 for the Vaqueros. Santa Barbara pulled away from that point to capture the title.
Ventura's third straight appearance in the WSC title contest has assured them of a spot in the Southern California Regional Playoffs. The regionals begin Friday Nov. 11 back at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo.