Corsairs Men’s Volleyball Sweeps Pierce College
The Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsairs’ men’s volleyball team hosted the Brahmas of LA Pierce College for a conference match on Friday night, March 8. The Corsairs entered the match with a 5-5 overall record and 2-1 in conference play.
The Corsairs controlled the first set, holding the lead throughout, en route to a 25-10 victory. They held a clear advantage in terms of size and athleticism, which they used to dominate Pierce at the net. The team was led by the freshman trio Alan Petreav, 6’6 middle-back, Ethan Hammond, 6’7 middle-back, and Bryce Bowsher, 6’3 outside hitter, all of whom had multiple blocks and kills in the first set and helped set the tone for the match.
The second set saw more of the same from the Corsairs, who jumped out to an early 12-4 lead. At this point, the Brahmas called a timeout, but they were unable to come up with any solutions for the Corsairs' size at the net. The Corsairs cruised to a 25-11 victory, claiming a 2-0 lead in the match.
The Corsairs started the third set a bit slower, and after several back-and-forth points, they found themselves up 13-7. At that point, Corsairs’ head coach, Liran Zamir, brought Luis Garzon, a 6’7 sophomore hitter, into the game. Garzon’s left-handed hitting constantly confused the Pierce College defense, leading to numerous kills in the third set. Garzon, along with freshmen Zach Fuentes and Jason Walmer, led the Corsairs on a 12-5 run to end the 3rd set with a 25-12 victory.
Following the 3-0 sweep (25-10, 25-11, 25-12), the Corsairs improved to a 6-5 record on the season and 3-1 in conference matches.
The Corsairs look to carry this momentum into a non-conference match against Santiago Canyon on Wednesday, March 13.