Beach Volleyball Opens 2020 With Two Wins

The Ventura College beach volleyball team opened the 2020 season Friday with a pair of wins at the Newland Courts in Huntington Beach. The Pirates defeated Cypress 4-1 in the opener before downing host Santa Ana 5-0 in their second match of the day. Brooklyn Wallet and Tatiana Rodriguez came from behind in the No. 3 slot to win their first match of the day against Cypress before sweeping through Santa Ana. VC's No. 1 pair of Raphaella Rosales and Vanessa Ihrke won their two matches in straight sets.

In the opening match, Rosales and Ihrke sailed through their match up at No. 1, winning 21-11,21-14. Leslie Perez and Kayla Hosch also had an easy go of it, winning their No. 2 match-up, 21-10, 21-15. Morgan Gallagher and Miranda Unzueta won in straight sets at No. 4, 21-16, 21-15, and Wallet and Rodriguez dropped their first set, 13-21, before coming back 21-19, 15-11 for the 3-set victory at No. 3.

The Pirates then turned around to sweep hosts Santa Ana in the second match of the day. Rosales and Ihrke won by the identical score as their first match, and Gallagher and Unzueta won going away, 21-10, 21-12. Tatum Teel and Monica Montoya triumphed at No. 5, 21-16, 21-13 and the duo of Wallet and Rodriguez won at No. 3, 21-12, 21-15. Perez and Hosch lost the first set, 20-22, before storming back to take the second, 21-18, and the decisive third set, 15-13.

The Pirates return to the sand on Friday Feb. 21 in the Ramon Calderon Cup at Cal State Northridge. They will take on the host Matadors at 11:00 am before battling Long Beach City College at 12:30. 

Ventura 4, Cypress 1

1. Raphaella Rosales/Vanessa Ihrke (VC) def. Brittany Zavala/Mary Hicks (CC), 21-11, 21-14
2. Leslie Perez/Kayla Hosch (VC) def. Danielle Gomez/Alondra Lamas (CC), 21-10, 21-15
3. Brooklyn Wallet/Tatiana Rodriguez (VC) def. Rachel Burney/Alexis Flores (CC), 13-21, 21-19, 15-11
4. Morgan Gallagher/Miranda Unzueta (VC) def. Amanda Risch/Lauren Adamo (CC), 21-16, 21-15
5. Tatum Teel/ Monica Montoya (VC) lost to Ashley Corona/Ali Carey-Oliver (CC), 21-15, 21-13

Ventura 5, Santa Ana 0

1. Raphaella Rosales/Vanessa Ihrke (VC) def. Sarah Bethke/Aubree Macdonald (SAC), 21-11, 21-14
2. Leslie Perez/Kayla Hosch (VC) def. Ally Wardlow/Savannah Brown (SAC), 20-22, 21-18, 15-13
3. Brooklyn Wallet/Tatiana Rodriguez (VC) def. Stacie Zumbek/Myrandah Zepeda (SAC), 21-12, 21-15
4. Morgan Gallagher/Miranda Unzueta (VC) def.  Kim Meza/Elizabeth Merold (SAC), 21-10, 21-12
5. Tatum Teel/ Monica Montoya (VC) def. Jordan Ninmer/Gwendolyn Martin (SAC), 21-16, 21-13