
Huntington Beach, Calif. — The Golden West College Rustlers continued their winning ways with a commanding 3-0 sweep (25-14, 25-20, 25-15) over visiting Palomar College on Friday night. The win improves Golden West's overall record to 10-0, and 3-0 in conference action.
Golden West came out sharp from the start, hitting .320 in the first set and never looking back. Aidan Powell led the charge for the Rustlers, posting 12 kills on .476 hitting, adding 5 digs and 3 blocks for a well-rounded effort that kept Palomar on their heels.
Joining Powell in the offensive effort was Kai Rodriguez, who hit a blistering .556 with 5 kills on 9 swings, and Owen Banner, who added 5 kills and 3 aces, proving to be a consistent threat from the service line.
Setter John Braunstein distributed the offense effectively with 20 assists, and Joseph Nunez anchored the back row with a team-high 9 digs as the Rustlers' defense limited Palomar to a .000 hitting percentage for the match.
Golden West's aggressive serving also proved a difference-maker, as the team combined for 7 aces, including 3 from Banner and 2 from Brayden Huynh, applying constant pressure on the Comets' serve receive.
Palomar struggled to find an offensive rhythm, hitting negative in the final set (-.217). Tyler Yraceburn led the Comets with 8 kills, while Nolan Apodaca contributed a solid .444 hitting percentage with 4 kills, but it wasn't enough to overcome Golden West's depth and efficiency.