Daniels and Barrios Sweep Through Pool Play at State

VC's Shai Daniels and Viola Barrios swept through pool play Friday on the first day of the 3C2A State Beach Volleyball Pairs Championships in Long Beach. The Pirate duo, the No. 4 team from last week's SOCal Championships, were the top seed in Pool 4 of the eight pools featuring 32 pair overall. Ventura defeated all three of its opponents in advancing to Saturday's Top-16 bracket play.

Daniels and Barrios'  first opponent came from the newly crowned team state champions from San Diego Mesa, a good test to start the day. The Pirates started strong, and went up 14-7 in the first set. They did not trail at any point of the match and took the win 21-17, 21-14.  

The next opponent was a familiar foe from Orange Coast. The VC pair had just defeated their opponents last week at the Regionals. The winds were swirly and at one point all four players missed their serves consecutively due to the conditions. Daniels and Barrios prevailed again, in straight sets, 21-15, 21-14. 

In the following match in the pool, Feather River defeated Mesa, clinching a spot in the Top-16 bracket on Saturday.  Playing against FRC for seeding, Daniels and Barrios won the first set with confident attacks over and around the defensive block attempts, 21-17. In the second set, VC trailed for the first time all day as Feather River moved ahead 5-2 on the first side change. But the Pirate duo settled their nerves, evened up the score at 7-7, and were back in stride. The score remained close for the entire set, but the Pirates won 21-19, taking their third straight-set victory. 

Daniels and Barrios advance to the Top-16 as the top pair from Pool 4.They will begin play Saturday May 10 at 11:00 a, against a strong El Camino pair who moved forward as the No. 2 team from Pool 3. A victory would move the Pirate pair to a quarterfinal match-up at 12:30 pm at Long Beach City College.