With a reworked line-up, the Ventura College beach volleyball team returned to the top of the Western State Conference standings Friday with a pair of victories at Santa Barbara's East Beach. VC gained a measure of retribution in the opener, defeating the host Vaqueros 3-2 after SBCC's win at Ventura on March 29. The Pirates then swept Glendale in the second match of the day to climb into the driver's seat in the conference race with two matches remaining.
Ventura (15-5, 9-1) shuffled its line-up for the second straight week after sophomore All-American Kayla Murdoch was lost for the remainder of the season due to injury. They may have found an answer after defeating the Vaqueros after VC's 3-2 setback against the Vaqueros two weeks ago.
The Pirates fell behind early against SBCC, dropping the Nos. 3 and 1 match-ups. Gracie Piro and Gabby Raines got VC on the board with a 21-14, 21-13 victory in the No. 4 contest setting up a tense but thrilling Pirate comeback.
Alba Romanos Gracia and Kylie Ibbotson dropped their first set at No. 2, 21-9 before coming back to take the second by an identical score. In the third and deciding set, the Pirate duo outlasted their Vaquero opponents, taking the set 15-13 to even the match at 2-2.
Meanwhile, Liz Schalde and Skylar Rutherford were locked into their own epic battle at the No. 5 slot. The VC pair won the first set 21-19 before dropping the second, 21-17. In the third set, Schalde and Rutherford pulled away in the end, clinching their win 15-7 to seal the Ventura triumph over Santa Barbara, 3-2.
The second contest of the day was much less exciting for VC as Glendale came into the match with just two competing pairs. Autumn Rojelio and Bryce Swain easily defeated GCC's No. 1 team 21-13, 21-6 before Romanos Gracia and Ibbotson won at No. 2, 21-7, 21-11. Lily Hazzard and Makena Schaumloeffel, Piro and Raines, and Schalde and Rutherford all won at Nos. 3, 4 and 5, respectively, by forfeit scores of 21-0, 21-0.
With the two wins, Ventura (9-1) overtakes Santa Barbara (8-2) in the conference standings with two matches remaining. The Pirates will host Santa Monica (8-2), who defeated Santa Barbara last week, and Bakersfield, who pushed VC before the Pirates won 3-2 a week ago, on Friday April 19 at the Harbor Cove Courts.
Ventura 3, Santa Barbara 2
1. Autumn Rojelio/Bryce Swain (VC) lost to SBCC 1s, 21-13, 21-15
2. Alba Romanos Gracia/Kylie Ibbotson (VC) def. SBCC 2s, 9-21, 21-9, 15-13
3. Lily Hazzard/Makena Schaumloeffel (VC) lost to SBCC 3s, 21-8, 21-7
4. Gracie Piro/Gabby Raines (VC) def. SBCC 4s, 21-14, 21-13
5. Liz Schalde/Skylar Rutherford (VC) def. SBCC 5s, 21-19, 17-21, 15-7
Order of Finish: 3, 1, 4, 2, 5
Ventura 5, Glendale 0
1. Autumn Rojelio/Bryce Swain (VC) def. GCC 1s, 21-13, 21-6
2. Alba Romanos Gracia/Kylie Ibbotson (VC) def. GCC 2s, 21-7, 21-11
3. Lily Hazzard/Makena Schaumloeffel (VC) def. GCC 3s, forfeit, 21-0, 21-0
4. Gracie Piro/Gabby Raines (VC) def. GCC 4s, forfeit, 21-0, 21-0
5. Liz Schalde/Skylar Rutherford (VC) def. GCC 5s, forfeit, 21-0, 21-0
Order of Finish: 3, 4, 5, 1, 2