Spikers Drop Home Match in Four

The VC volleyball team put up another strong fight Wednesday, but ultimately fell to visiting Santa Barbara in four sets, 25-18, 27-25, 24-26, 25-19. Addison Olson led the effort with 11 kills while Josephine Rausch recorded a double-double of 10 kills and 15 digs. Daphne Raymond also had 10 winners at the net and Shai Daniels led the defense with 33 digs. Monaye Ramessar handed out 22 assists with 12 digs and Valeria Ibarra passed 16 helpers with a dozen digs.

Rausch and Raymond each had kills early for a 4-1 VC edge before the Vaqueros tied the first set at 5-5. Callie Cahill had a kill to bring Ventura to within 11-8, and Rausch and Raymond each hit winners to pull the Pirates to within 14-13. SBCC maintained a slim margin, however, until they pulled away for a 22-16 lead. Olson and Taylor Lane each hit winners to keep the Pirates in the set, but Santa Barbara eventually won, 25-18.

Ventura (8-7, 1-3) got off to a quick start in the second set with Olson, Cahill and Madison Mierau all recording points for the 7-3 VC lead. Cahill and Mierau each had winners to stretch the lead to 10-4 before SBCC came storming back to tie the set at 14. Raymond put Ventura ahead 19-18, and Rausch responded with a winner to tie the score at 23-23. The Pirates survived a Santa Barbara set-point, and had one of their own before the Vaqueros claimed the set, 27-25.

With their backs against the wall, the Pirates again took an early lead, 4-2, on an Olson winner. Santa Barbara came back once again, however, and held a lead of 9-5. Cahill had a winner and Raymond scored twice to knot the count at 9-9. Cahill and Jocelyn Alfar each hit winners to keep the score tied at 17-and 18, respectively, and Raymond had a pair of huge swings down the stretch as VC survived, 26-24. 

It was all Pirates early in the fourth set with leads of 6-0 and 8-4 and 10-5. Raymond had another winner to maintain a 12-9 margin, but SBCC completed the comeback at 14-14. Ventura regained a 19-17 advantage before the Vaqueros scored eight straight points to capture the set and the match. 

VC next heads to Santa Maria on Friday Oct. 10 to take on Allan Hancock.