The third time was the charm for the Pirate volleyball team as they swept Santa Monica in three sets, the third time this season they played the Corsairs, in VC's third straight home Southern California Regional Final, breaking through for the Pirates' first trip to the 3C2A State Elite Eight in 23 years. Kayla Murdoch had a double double of 14 kills and 11 digs and Autumn Rojelio recorded 19 digs and handed out five assists to lead Ventura (21-3) to the state tournament next weekend at Mt. San Antonio College.
It is difficult to defeat a good team three times in a season, and the Pirates had already beaten SMC twice, each in five sets, before Saturday's playoff match-up. VC left little doubt, beginning with a close first set win. Ventura inched ahead late in the first set when a net violation and a kill by Talia Behrens edged the Pirates ahead 23-21. Behrens hit another winner and Murdoch put the set away with a kill from Ashley Johnson's assist, and Ventura took the first set 25-21.
VB��: Behrens another kill and Murdoch with the winner on #SetPoint. @VCVolleyball captures 1st set over @smc_corsairs 25-21. pic.twitter.com/LGHqcVbahz
— VCPirateAthletics (@VCAthletics) November 26, 2023
In the second set, Makena Schaumloeffel and Kylie Ibbotson each hit winners to push VC ahead 13-7. Rojelio set Murdoch for the kill with a pass from the baseline to make it 16-12 for the Pirates before Santa Monica rallied with four straight winners. Schaumloeffel hit another winning shot and Jocelyn Montoya recorded a service ace for a 21-19 margin before Ibbotson's kill and Behrens' soft winner. Ibbotson hit a wicked back-row kill to put Ventura to set point and Schaumloeffel hit the winner as VC moved ahead 2-0 with the 25-22 set triumph.
VB��: Johnson sets Ibbotson. Behrens kills it softly. Ibbotson from the back row. Schaumloeffel hits the winner on #setpoint and @VCVolleyball claims 2nd set 25-22 over @smc_corsairs. VC leads match 2-0. pic.twitter.com/BMTaZ97Svc
— VCPirateAthletics (@VCAthletics) November 26, 2023
Sensing the urgency of the moment, both teams picked up intensity in the third set. Murdoch got things started with an early kill and a pair of blocks. Ibbotson shared a block with Brianna Morrison, then hit a winner as the Pirates moved ahead 9-6. SMC won four straight to take the lead before Ibbotson halted the skid. After two more scores by the Corsairs, Schaumloeffel, Behrens and Murdoch all hit winners to even the count at 13. Murdoch broke the tie with a winner and three SMC errors put the Pirates ahead 18-14.
Santa Monica pulled to within 20-19 before Murdoch and Ibbotson each had a kill and Behrens blocked one at the net to move Ventura to match point. With Ibbotson on the serve, Johnson set Behrens for the runner to clinch the victory and the trip to the state championships.
VB��: Behrens puts away a Johnson assist and @VCVolleyball completes the sweep over @smc_corsairs 25-20 in the 3rd. Pirates will head to the state tournament for the first time since 2000. pic.twitter.com/2BFQkhwtVV
— VCPirateAthletics (@VCAthletics) November 26, 2023
Murdoch added three service aces and a pair of block assists to her stat line and Rojelio hit a pair of aces. Ibbotson continued her late-season surge with nine kills and a team-best .419 hitting percentage to go along with eight digs. Schaumloeffel had 12 digs and six kills and Behrens also hit six winners with a pair of blocks. Johnson handed out 27 assists in the win.
The Pirates move on to the 3C2A State Elite Eight for the third time in program history. VC placed third in 1991 and fourth in 2000. Ventura begins the draw on Friday Dec. 1 at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut as Southern California's No. 2 seed, playing NorCal No. 3 Feather River at 1:00 pm. The winner of that match will play NorCal No. 1 San Joaquin Delta and SoCal No. 4 Irvine Valley in the state semifinals on Saturday Dec. 2.
Tickets for the 3C2A State Championships are available online at https://cccaa.hometownticketing.com/embed/all and all games will be streamed live on https://baosn.tv/cccaa/ for a $12 daily fee.