The Ventura College beach volleyball team gave it a good run but fell just short Tuesday in the CCCAA SoCal Regional Playoffs at the Harbor Cove Courts at the Ventura Marina Tuesday. The Pirates (14-5) fell to Long Beach 5-0 with three matches going three sets before defeating Cypress 4-1 in the triangular contest. Long Beach also defeated Cypress 4-1 to advance to the State Final Four while VC had to settle for a strong second place regional finish for the second straight year.
Ventura 0, Long Beach 5
The first match of the day was much closer than the final score indicated. VC's No. 2 team of Mikayla Spears and Brianna Finch won the first set of their match up 25-23 before falling in the final two sets, 21-8 and 15-9. The No. 4 duo of Janessa Simental and Madison Wright also had a 1-0 advantage on the strength of a 21-16 first-set win before falling in the next two, 21-18, 15-10. The Pirates' No. 3 pair Sariah Flores and Armonee Hunter dropped their first set 21-9 before coming back to win the second 21-9, falling just short in the third, 15-13. Ventura's No. 1 team of Tori Hiott and Paris Dosch were edged in two sets, 23-21, 21-15, and the No. 5 pair Daisy Martinez and Paulina Iverson were defeated 21-16, 21-13.
Ventura 4, Cypress 1
After Long Beach defeated Cypress, the regional had been decided, but that did not keep the Pirates from finishing the day strong. Hiott and Dosch swept through the No. 1 match, 21-9, 21-12, and Flores and Hunter swept at No. 3, 21-14, 21-18. Simental and Wright also won two sets without a loss at No. 4, winning 21-12, 21-13, while Spears and Finch required the full allotment of three sets to win at No. 2, 21-17, 9-21, 15-10.
The Pirates end their team season with a record fof 14-5 with their first even Western State Conference championship in hand. VC's Nos. 1-4 teams will compete in the CCCAA State Pairs Championships Saturday and Sunday, May 6 and 7 at West Valley College in Saratoga.