SMC Beach Volleyball Wraps Up Regular Season, Turns Attention Towards Conference Tournament
Despite a five-win season in 2023, the Santa Monica College (SMC) Beach Volleyball team entered the 2024 campaign with high expectations. The Corsairs were off to a hot start, going 5-2 against non-conference opponents to begin their season.
However, the Corsairs ran into a rough patch once they entered Western State Conference (WSC) play. The team went 1-1 on March 15, with a 4-1 win over the Bakersfield College Renegades, but fell to the Santa Barbara City College Vaqueros (SBCC) 4-1. The Corsairs experienced a similar result the next week, toppling the Moorpark College Raiders 3-2, but were bested by the Ventura College Pirates 4-1. The Corsairs, unrelenting and undeterred, got back on track with a dominating 5-0 victory over the Glendale College Vaqueros and a 4-1 trouncing of the Cuesta College Cougars on March 29.
The Corsairs rode that momentum into a high-stakes rematch against the Vaqueros of SBCC on April 5, looking to avenge a 4-1 loss to SBCC, in which four of the five matches went to the all-important 3rd set. The Corsairs turned the tables on the Vaqueros, winning the rematch 4-1, keeping their conference title hopes alive. Sophia Vandenberg said, “We were out for revenge. Learning the things they do, we picked up on them.”
Freshmen Allison Horin and Prior Borick fought in their last winning set, putting The Corsairs ahead, 2-1. Horin, who is away from Seattle, said, “Just having teammates on the sideline far from home really helps.” Sophomore duo Maiella Riva and Sophia Odle also came up big for the Corsairs, beating the Vaqueros in an electrifying three-set match (21-15, 21-23, 15-11).
Later that day, the Corsairs followed up the monumental victory over SBCC by defeating Glendale 4-1. The following week, the Corsairs handled Bakersfield and Cuesta, defeating both 4-1 and setting up a showdown for the conference crown against the Ventura Pirates and the Moorpark Raiders on Friday, April 18.
After making the 65-mile trip north to Ventura Harbor, the Corsairs were slated to face the Pirates at 9:00 a.m. and the Raiders at 11:00 a.m. As expected, the contest against the Pirates was highly competitive, with four of the five matches going all three sets. The freshmen pairs of Prior Brock and Chloe Lewis, as well as Bridget Robarts and Zoe Horner, were both able to take down their opponents in three sets. The Pirates, however, would rally, winning the rest of the matches and sinking the Corsairs' hopes of a conference title with the 3-2 victory.
The Corsairs fared little better against Moorpark, suffering a similar 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Raiders. The pairs of Brock/Lewis and Robarts/Horner were yet again the bright spots on a cloudy day for the Corsairs, coming up with both SMC wins. Robarts and Horner, who have known each other for 19 years, said that talking each other through their emotions, the ups and downs has played a major factor in their success this season.
Though it was a disappointing end to a great regular season for the Corsairs, Head Coach Christian Cammayo said, “The overall perspective will take a little longer. Last year, we won five games, and to be in the running for a conference championship this year, in a loaded conference, is still [a] pretty good perspective.”
Despite coming up short of the conference crown, the Corsairs still have an outside shot at making the 3C2A Southern California Regional Playoffs starting on April 30. In the meantime, the Corsairs turn their attention towards the WSC Pairs Tournament, taking place this Friday and Saturday, April 26 and 27, at their home court on Ocean Park Beach in Santa Monica.
