Corsairs Secure Victory In Five Set Thriller
Santa Monica College’s women’s volleyball team (5-5) faced the Ventura College Pirates (4-4) in a highly anticipated matchup on Friday night in the Corsair Gym. Heading into the match, the Corsairs had previously fallen to the Pirates three times last season. Both teams were full of high energy during warmups, and the gym was electric.
The Corsairs instantly took control in the first set. Setter Makena Gamby secured the first two points of the set, with a kill of her own and an ace. The Pirates were able to side out quickly, tooling the block and extending rallies with their scrappy defense.
However, Santa Monica responded quickly, as libero Annah Legaspi scored three back-to-back aces, forcing Ventura to utilize a timeout and regroup. As the set continued, the Corsairs continued to keep the pressure on the Pirates, leading to multiple unforced errors. Both teams continued to side out instantly, but Santa Monica’s defense was unmatched, allowing them to take the first set 25-17.
The Corsairs’ momentum carried into the second set. Santa Monica established their presence at the net, with outside hitters Sade Town getting two kills and Allison Horin getting a block, forcing the Pirates into another timeout. The Pirates were able to score out of the timeout again, but with the consistent pressure, they continued to make mistakes.
The Corsairs continued to stay strong defensively and dominate the net, as right side hitter Reese Luke blocked Pirate’s outside hitter Shai Daniels. However, a couple of missed, scrappy defensive plays from Santa Monica would allow Ventura to tie the game and trade points. The Corsairs never backed down, continuing to apply service pressure and score strategically while running their offense. Another block by Horin gave the second set to the Corsairs, 25-22.
The third set would turn into a nail-biter. The set opened with a couple of long rallies, where both teams continued to trade points again. Gamby would further establish herself as an offensive weapon, as she was able to score on her own again. The Corsairs continued to keep the pressure on the Pirates, until Ventura found their rhythm. Both teams continued to trade points, keeping the set’s score tied. The Corsairs and Pirates tied the score over ten times during the set, but the Corsairs couldn’t outlast the opposing momentum. Outside hitter Makena Schaumloeffel earned a kill as the Pirates took the set 35-33.
“I think we came out super strong in the first two sets,” said Mylah Niksa, middle blocker for the Corsairs. “We were hungry for the win. However, we did not push completely through. We got lazy at one point.”
Both teams brought high energy into the fourth and fifth sets. The Corsairs maintained their lead, but the Pirates did not let down easily. Niksa shined in the fourth as a force at the net, but the Corsairs began to fumble near the end. The Pirates successfully fought off six match points and forced the Corsairs to make unforced errors, taking the fourth 27-25.
In the fifth, Ventura took the lead, opening with a 2-0 run before the Corsairs caught up. The Corsairs continued to make errors, giving the Pirates hope of winning. However, a technicality on Ventura’s end regarding the libero jersey would give Santa Monica the break they needed to reset and come back. Town and Gamby would continue to produce points for the Corsairs, leading up to a block by Niksa that would end the match 15-12.
“Tactically, we’ve been doing a good job the last few matches,” head coach Christian Cammayo said. “But today we did a good job, at least for the first two sets, most of the third, part of the fourth and we were able to recover in the fifth.”
The Corsairs (5-5) continue non-conference play against the Moorpark Raiders at Moorpark Wednesday, September 25.