The VC women's water polo team kept their season going Thursday with a 16-6 victory at Los Angeles Valley in the Play-In Round of the Western State Conference Tournament. Caitlyn Hilgenberg came through big time with four goals and four assists while AnnMarie Patterson also scored four times. Kelsee Espitia scored three times with three helpers in the victory for Ventura (18-10, 4-2).
Patterson, Espitia, Ella Montano and Hilgenberg all scored in the first quarter as the Pirates raced to a 4-1 lead. Montano also scored to open the second period, and Patterson netted a pair of goals in the stanza for a 7-3 Ventura advantage at halftime.
The teams began the decisive third quarter by exchanging goals before VC reeled off five straight to put the game away. Hilgenberg and Espitia each scored twice during the run along with goals by JoJo Thayne and Milla Malesich.
Ava Carey was nails in the cage all day, turning back 15 Monarch shot attempts while yielding the six goals to pick up the win.
The No. 4-seeded Pirates will look for the big upset on Friday Nov. 8 taking on Top-seed Santa Barbara at 10:00 am. The remainder of the tournament, for both the women and men, has been moved from the Ventura Aquatic Center to Citrus College in Glendora due to poor air quality in association with this week's Mountain Fire in Ventura County.