Huntington Beach, Calif. - The Golden West College Rustlers continued their strong season with a 3-1 home win over the visiting San Diego Miramar College Jets on Friday night. With set scores of 25-18, 25-19, 22-25, and 25-19, the Rustlers improved to 11-1 overall and 4-1 in conference play, while the Jets fell to 7-5 (2-3).

Golden West set the tone early, taking the first two sets behind efficient offense and strong defense. The Rustlers hit an impressive .583 in the second set, led by Aidan Powell, who posted a match-high 14 kills with a .364 hitting percentage, adding 4 assists and 12 digs for an all-around performance.

The Jets responded in the third set, winning 25-22 thanks to timely kills from Tristen Miller (12 kills, .235) and Joshua Woodhams (12 kills). Despite the rally, San Diego Miramar couldn't maintain momentum as Golden West powered through the fourth set to seal the victory.

Owen Banner also stood out for the Rustlers, adding 9 kills on .400 hitting and a match-high 4 service aces, while AJ Kuebrich contributed 8 kills (.400) and solid blocking. Curtis Harper added 5 kills and 12 digs, and Joseph Nunez anchored the back row with a match-high 16 digs.

As a team, Golden West hit .297 overall, outpacing Miramar's .167, and delivered 7 aces to keep the Jets under pressure throughout the match. Setter John Braunstein kept the offense running smoothly with 24 assists, while libero Jay Pearson added 17 assists and 4 digs in support.

The Rustlers will look to keep the momentum going as they continue conference play Wednesday, March 12th at Irvine Valley College with a 6pm start.