Oceanside, Calif. – The Mt. SAC Beach Volleyball Team concluded their team season at the 3C2A SoCal Regional Playoffs on Tuesday, April 28. While the end result wasn't exactly what they were hoping for, they made sure to go out strong, giving it everything they had.
Entering as the No. 9 seed in a tough 12-team field, the Mounties landed in a stacked pool with No. 1 MiraCosta and No. 8 Ventura—so they knew right away it wouldn't be easy.
Things got off to a rough start against MiraCosta, a team that has now knocked Mt. SAC out of regionals three straight seasons. The Mounties came out a bit flat and couldn't quite find their groove, falling 0-5 with no matches going to a third set. It wasn't the performance they wanted, but against the top seed, it wasn't entirely unexpected either.
Next came their match against the Ventura Pirates.
The Mounties hosted the Pirates back in February, losing 1-4. However, three of those pairs battled it out in three sets, showing that their skill and talent was much closer than the final score implied. This time around, it played out exactly how you'd expect between evenly matched squads.
Ventura pulled out wins at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, putting the Mounties in a tough position. Emma Carson and Eva Fisher, along with Kayla Stavely and Yaretzi Silva, couldn't quite get things going up top, and just like that, Mt. SAC was down 2-0.
But the bottom half of the ladder is where the Mounties shined. Bella Fairley and Jasmyn Stampley got things rolling with 21-13, 22-20 wins at No. 3, and Jeanie Rhodes and Mayah Tiscareno followed it up at No. 4 with scores of 21-14, 21-18 to even things up.
And then it all came down to the final court – the No. 5 pair. It always seems to happen this way, doesn't it? And of course, this one went to three sets – the anticipation mounting. How would the Mounties' season end?
Kacey Worcester and Bella Ross came through for the team, taking the first set 22-20, dropping the second, and then pulling away in the third 15-9 to lock in the 3-2 team win. A gritty finish and a great way to close finish off the season.
Unfortunately, the Mounties' postseason hopes didn't extend beyond that. Ventura's close 3-2 loss to MiraCosta gave the Spartans the edge to move on, keeping Mt. SAC out of the state championship once again.
Even without advancing, the Mounties have plenty to be proud of. They finish the season 17-9 overall and 7-3 in conference, and showed throughout the day that they could compete, adjust, and fight until the very end.
NEXT UP:
Although team competition is out of the mix, the Mounties have a single pair that is competing in the SoCal Regional Pairs competition, beginning on Friday, May 1 at El Camino College. Good luck to Emma Carson and Eva Fisher as they look to make their way through regionals and represent Mt. SAC at home during the 3C2A State Championship.
STAY CONNECTED:
Follow Mt. SAC Women's Volleyball on Twitter @MtSAC_BeachVB or Instagram /mtsacbeachvball/
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For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.