The Pirates' beach volleyball team traveled to play El Camino and Riverside in Torrance Wednesday as a steady rain started to fall. With heavy and wet sand-covered volleyballs in play, VC swept past Riverside 5-0 without dropping a set. The Pirates and Warriors battled in the second match of the day with Ventura coming out on top 3-2.
Against the Tigers, VC's No.1 pair of Shai Daniels and Viola Barrios held Riverside to single digits in both sets, winning 21-5 and 21-8. Partners Liz Schalde and Daphne Raymond notched their first win as a pair at the No.5 spot 21-13, 21-13.
VC's second match of the day came down to the wire. El Camino, directed by new head coach and Olympic Gold Medalist April Ross, was more comfortable in the elements and pushed the Pirates to compete at their best. Talia Behrens and Sadie Lishman won at the No. 2 spot, and Schalde and Raymond continued their dominance at No. 5, both pairs winning in straight sets. Josephine Rausch and Giannamay Tayco lost to El Camino at No. 3 despite winning the first set 21-8. Lexi Brinkman and Skylar Rutherford dropped their tiebreaking third set 15-12 at No. 4.
After play concluded on courts two through five, Daniels and Barrios were at the end of their second set in the No. 1 contest, trying to win and keep the Pirate's hopes alive after dropping the first set. The teams and fans from both schools crowded around Court 1 to watch Daniels score the final two points of the second set with a pair of aces. With the enthusiastic support of their teammates from the sidelines, Daniels and Barrios took a 9-3 lead in the final set, holding on to defeat ECC 15-12 to give the Pirates the 3-2 team victory.
The Pirates (4-1) next travel on Friday Feb. 21 to Golden West to play the Rustlers and Palomar. VC's first home match will be played at the Ventura Harbor Cove on Friday Feb. 28 against Mt. San Jacinto 10:00 am.
Ventura 5, Riverside 0
1. Shai Daniels/Viola Barrios (VC) def. RCC No. 1 (RCC), 21-5, 21-8
2. Talia Behrens/Sadie Lishman (VC) def. RCC No. 2 (RCC), 21-9, 21-17
3. Josephine Rausch/Giannamay Tayco (VC) def. RCC No. 3 (RCC), 21-12, 21-10
4. Skylar Rutherford/Lexi Brinkman (VC) def. RCC No. 4 (RCC), 21-11, 21-9
5. Liz Schalde/Daphne Raymond (VC) def. RCC No. 5 (RCC), 21-13, 21-13
Order of Finish: 1, 5, 2, 3, 4
Ventura 3, Cerritos 2
1. Shai Daniels/Viola Barrios (VC) def. Payton Garrison/Tate Mercer (ECC), 18-21, 22-20, 15-12
2. Talia Behrens/Sadie Lishman (VC) def. Alyssa Estrada/Madelyn Hancock (ECC), 21-8, 21-10
3. Josephine Rausch/Giannamay Tayco (VC) lost to Erica Griffiths/Zariah Honeycutt (ECC), 21-15, 21-16
4. Skylar Rutherford/Lexi Brinkman (VC) lost to Aireon Scott/Perla Lopez (ECC), 8-21, 21-7, 15-12
5. Liz Schalde/Daphne Raymond (VC) def. Arabella Ober/Maddie Gloria (ECC), 21-5, 21-13
Order of Finish: 5, 2, 3, 4, 1