Corsairs defeat the Vaqueros
On April 4, the Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsairs beach volleyball team played a long-awaited rematch against the Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) Vaqueros. The Corsairs were able to defeat the Vaqueros in a highly competitive matchup, 3-2. With the victory, the Corsairs jumped to second place, following behind the Vaqueros in the Western State Conference.
Coming into the game, the Corsairs were 5-1 in conference standings, with their only defeat being against Santa Barbara. “In the first game we were missing three players, two to illness and one to a family emergency. Today we have all our players,” said Corsairs’ head coach Christian Cammayo.
The Corsairs third and fifth pairs lost their matches, but quickly after, Corsairs’ second and fourth pairs won, creating more excitement for the first pair to win their match.
The first pair match up went the longest of the five. They played a tie-breaker set to determine the winner. Corsairs' blocker Nicole Lankton and defender Annah Legaspi rose to the occasion and won 15-10, giving the Corsairs an overall win of 3-2.
“Aggressive play on offense with good communication were the keys to their win,” said Legaspi.
Lankton was aggressive at the net, making several kill shots. “I was very excited leading up to the game,” said Lankton after the game.
“They didn’t play their best game physically, but they showed a lot of emotional growth,” said Cammayo.
This win gives the Corsairs a strong chance at hosting a playoff game as they head into the postseason.
The Corsairs’ next game is on Friday, April 11, against the Bakersfield College Renegades at 11 a.m. and the Cuesta College Cougars at 1 p.m. at Pismo Beach.