Women's Volleyball thrashes Antelope Valley in nail-biting set

The Santa Monica Corsair women's volleyball team defeated the Antelope Valley College Mauraders in four games Saturday night, 25-20, 17-25, 25-22 and 25-23. The first game set the tone for the night as the Corsairs took the first game 25-20 by flying out of the gate with serves that overwhelmed the Marauders in their depth.

Corsair freshman opposite hitter Sara Suprosta stood out with serves that tore through the air. Freshman outside hitter Greta Schmittdiel, she of the cannon arm and 20 kills, inspired sheer terror in the eyes staring across the net as she delivered spikes of such power that they were accompanied with cries that echoed through Corsair Pavilion.

There was a palpable intensity in the air when the second game ended with a 25-17 victory for AVC, it would be the only one allowed to them by the Corsairs.

"Their offense was really good, very strong," Corsair head coach Nicole Ryan said.

Marauder's outside hitter, Tiffany Matchett, was a particularly, formidable foe as her serves smashed through the other side.

The Marauder bench begged their teammates on the floor to push towards their fifth win in conference play, which would keep them above .500. Alas victory would elude them as SMC played the next two games with unforgiving ferocity.

The fourth game became a savage, ping pong battle as AVC continuously tied the first at 22-22, then 23-23, until finally the last of Schmittdiel's 12 blocks scored the final point that granted SMC the win.

"I'm really impressed with how we played tonight," said Ryan. "I was a little worried in that fourth set, but winning is contagious."

The eventual goal is to make state, and if the blue and white continue to play with the fever it relished in on Saturday, they will certainly head that way.

"We played some great defense, we served really great," added Ryan. "I think all around we did some really good things. Tonight was intense, it was balls out, they wanted it."

The win puts the Corsairs at 15-5 on the season and 7-1 in the WSC South, one game behind undefeated College of the Canyons.

The loss drops the Marauders to 4-4 in the conference and 8-10 overall.

On Wednesday SMC will face off with the West Los Angeles College Wildcats on Freshman Drive on Wednesday but will be back home on Saturday to face off with Citrus College Owls.