Corsairs Come Out On Top
Amber Guerrero | Multimedia Editor
Women's volleyball beats the previously-undefeated Renegades.
The Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsairs women’s volleyball team won 3-2 against the Bakersfield College Renegades in a five-set thriller on Wednesday, Nov. 1, at Corsair Gym.
The first set was a tough fight. Both teams constantly nipped at each other’s heels, with neither side leading by more than three points. The Corsairs scraped by to win the set 25-22.
The intensity found in the first set escalated as the match went on. In the second set, the Corsairs started off strong with a 6-0 lead, but the Renegades continued to be tough opponents. They managed to catch up and even gained a lead of their own, flipping the script and taking the set with their own six-point lead, ending at 25-19, but this didn’t faze the Corsairs.
The third set started as another tight match, but the Corsairs built a six-point lead, prompting the Renegades to take a timeout. However, by the end of the set, the Renegades were only able to close the gap by one point, giving another set to the Corsairs, 25-20.
By the fourth set, both teams were neck-and-neck. Whenever one team started a lead, the other team caught up in no time. But after a strong start, the Corsairs fell four points behind, the score opening up 17-13. The Corsairs put up a fight — they caught up once more, evening the score out to 20-20 — but ultimately lost the set 25-22, leading the game to an ultimate tiebreaker.
The final set had the audience out of their seats. Fans of Corsairs and Renegades alike were on edge as the race to 15 points began. The Corsairs, with a renewed sense of vigor, created the biggest point gap of the match with nine points, leading 11-2.
Despite that formidable lead, the Renegades didn’t give up, gaining a few points and bringing the score to 13-6. The next point went to the Corsairs, a kill by outside hitter Natalie Fernandez. One point away from winning, tension filled the air as the Renegades scored another point. In the next long, intense relay, opposite Zarha Stanton spiked the ball beyond the opponents’ reach, scoring 15-7 and ending the game.
The win against Bakersfield, who were previously undefeated, makes SMC a contender for conference champion. Head coach Christian Cammayo shared that the victory was exciting, especially considering the team’s previous loss to Bakersfield. “The last time we played them, it was the same thing; it went to the fifth set, and we ended up losing [15-13]. We knew it was going to be a battle today,” he said.
But this wasn’t even close to the end for this stellar team. “That was a big one for us. I think we played really hard, and we did our best,” setter Mia Paulson said.
“Hopefully, we’re gonna stay undefeated throughout the second half conference and win that conference title.”
