Hot Streak Continues: Women Clinch Comeback
Four games in, the Corsairs Women’s Volleyball season seemed at risk, with more losses than wins. They’ve since it turned it around and have lit a fire that’s yet to burn out.
After losing the first two sets, and almost losing the third, the Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsairs Women’s Volleyball team were able to pull off an epic comeback win against the Moorpark College Raiders on Friday, Sep. 23. This propelled them to a 6 game win streak, and a 7-3 record on the season. As wonderful as the season sounds now, it wasn’t always the case.
First year Head Coach Christian Cammayo was proud of his team. Cammayo said it's “a huge win” that puts them up 3-0 in the Western State Conference against the Raiders who were ranked the number ten team in the California Community College Athletic Association. “In the sport of volleyball if you’re down 2-0 it’s usually lights out.”
Libero Halle Anderson was extremely happy with the win as well. She acknowledged the rough start to the game, saying, “It was a little slow. I think everyone was trying to get into that rhythm.”
Miscommunication and lack of energy were also key components that contributed to the rough couple of sets. They started off the first set going back and forth with Moorpark, but eventually Moorpark took the lead and held onto it to secure the first set, 16-25. Moorpark took the early lead in the second set and never took their foot off the gas, winning the second set, 20-25, to secure back-to-back set wins.
The third set seemed to be going the Raiders way, but the Corsairs were able to rally late in the set with key blocks and win 25-21. The Corsairs carried over that momentum into the fourth set and took the early lead. The Raiders threatened a comeback during the fourth set, but the Corsairs were able to hold onto their lead, 25-20, tying the game at two sets apiece.
A shortened fifth set meant there was hardly room for error. The Corsairs were down 13-8 in the set, meaning the Raiders only needed two more points to secure the game. The Corsairs, however, had other plans and quickly tied the game 13-13. The teams exchanged the lead a bit more, but ultimately the Corsairs were able to pull off the comeback win, 17-15, and add onto their five-game streak. “The team has the belief in themselves and they won’t quit and that’s just a fantastic quality,” said Cammayo.
This current win streak comes after a three game losing streak in weeks one and two of their season, when they were 1-3. “We had a couple of disciplinary issues and it also then impacted chemistry and our flow,” said Cammayo Anderson mentioned that this year’s team is fun to play with and has a different vibe from the previous season. “Once we started prioritizing our chemistry, our hanging out, our team bonding, the quality of everyones conversations changed for the better so that definitely helps on the court.”
The Corsairs are taking their season one game at a time. Both personally and for the team as a whole, the rest of the season is all about improvement, which Anderson is hopeful about. Speaking after the game, Cammayo said, “Being my first year, we’re trying to set the standard for what we want the program to be.”
The next Corsairs Women’s Volleyball game is against the Bakersfield College Renegades on Wednesday, Sep. 28 at the Corsair Pavilion, SMC Main Campus, at 6pm.
