Rausch's 20-20 Double-Double Leads Pirates

The VC volleyball team battled for five long sets Friday before succumbing to visiting Moorpark despite Josephine Rausch's 20-20 double-double performance. The sophomore recorded 20 kills and 21 digs, including six big winners and two services aces as the Pirates came back to win the fourth set 25-22 after trailing 13-8. Daphne Raymond had eight kills while Shai Daniels recorded seven service aces and 20 digs in the outstanding effort for Ventura (11-8, 4-4).

The Pirates, ranked No. 24 in the state, played an inspired first set against No. 13 Moorpark. Raymond scored on a block and Sadie Lishman served an ace before Daniels followed with another ace in a 6-1 run to start the match. Madison Mierau had a huge swing for a 12-5 margin before Raymond had a kill and a block to stretch the Pirate lead to nine, 16-7. The Raiders made a charge, but VC was able to keep them at distance. Taylor Lane's winner at the net maintained a 21-16 lead. Monaye Ramessar served an ace, and Rausch had a big swing to claim the set, 25-18.

Moorpark took the early lead in the second set before Mierau's kill gave the Pirates a 7-6 advantage. The Raiders responded with a 5-0 run before Raymond's winner cut the deficit to three. Addison Olson had a big block at the net to pull Ventura to within a single point and Rausch's winner maintained the gap at 17-15. MC then went on a 5-2 run before evening the match at a set apiece with a 25-18 set win.

The Raiders started the third set strong with Olson's winner keeping VC to a 6-4 deficit. Rausch and Raymond also had kills at the net to keep the score within three, 9-6 before Ventura came back to tie the set at 10. MC responded with a 5-2 run to reestablish control, but a block by Olson and an ace from Rausch closed the gap to a single point, 17-16. Moorpark then closed the set with an 8-1 run to take he set, 25-17.

MC again built a solid advantage in the fourth set. At one point they led 13-8 before a block by Rausch and a pair of aces from Daniels tied the score at 13. After a timeout, Daniels made it three aces in a row for a 15-13 advantage for VC. Rausch had a kill and an ace to extend the margin to 18-15, and she recorded two more winners for the 23-20 lead. Rausch then finished things off with an ace for the set win, 25-22, sending the match to a deciding fifth set.

Raymond's winner led to a 3-0 Ventura edge early in the fifth set before the Raiders knotted up the count at 5-5. It was all Moorpark from that point, unfortunately as the Raiders posted the 15-8 set win to take the match, 3-2.

Ramessar and Valeria Ibarra each handed out 18 assists while Olson recorded three blocks at the net. Mierau had nine digs defensively and Lishman posted eight digs.

Ventura returns to the court on Wednesday Oct. 29 at Los Angeles Mission College.