Corsairs Split Seasons First Tournament
The Corsairs men's volleyball team started their tournament off strong with a win, but narrowly lost in the second game.
On Wednesday, Feb. 15, the Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsairs men’s volleyball team played two home games in a non-conference tournament. The first game was against the Grossmont College Griffins and the second was against the San Diego Mesa College Olympians. The Corsairs had a positive start to the tournament, but the Olympians prevailed, keeping their win streak alive.
The first game against the Griffins started off rough for the Corsairs. They were eventually able to get their communication down and the Corsairs seemed unstoppable from that point forward. The blockers prevented nearly every spike going over the net and the setters executed superb passes to get the kills. There were a few serving errors throughout the sets but the Corsairs pulled through and won 3-0 with scores of 25-16, 25-15, 25-17.
Libero Javier Castillo reflected after the first game, feeling positive about the result but acknowledging there’s room for improvement.
“I think we learned something about ourselves that, like, you know, just because a team is like not at your level doesn’t mean bring down your level,” he said.
Energy and positivity were two things Castillo was determined to carry over into the second game, as he said they make all the difference on the court.
The Olympians entered the tournament with a four game win streak. They obtained their fifth win in their first game and were off to face the Corsairs. It wasn’t an easy game for either side as the first set went up to thirty points before the Corsairs finally won it.
The following three sets ended in scores of 25-20, with the teams tying the game at two sets apiece. The final set was a shortened 15-point set, and as much as the Corsairs put up a fight, it was ultimately the Olympians who would win 15-11 to extend their win streak to six games.
The Corsairs’ next game is on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at the home of the Golden West College Rustlers at 5 p.m. Their next home game will be their final non-conference scrimmage. They will play the Irvine Valley College Lasers on Friday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m.
