By Jimmy Friery
BAKERSFIELD, CA – The Santa Barbara City College Women's Beach Volleyball (8-2) team begins conference play 2-0 after wins against Santa Monica and Bakersfield at CSU Bakersfield on Friday.
"It was a battle for us for both matches," head coach Ariana Garner said. "First SM came out of the gates with a lot of fire. Nearly each match went to three sets, and we were able to battle until the end to pull off two huge wins at the 4s and 2s to start our day."
Olivia Medina and Ashley Rossi continued to dominate as the Vaqueros' 1 pair, winning in a quick 2 sets.
Alexis Zevenbergen and Nevaeh Tillet had an electric win—as Garner mentioned—as the 2s duo. After a 21-17, 13-21 first two sets, the tiebreaking third set ended as a tiebreaker, itself, and the Vaqs pair won it 20-18.
"Birdie and Navaeh at the 2s played strong together as a team. Once they got in rhythm and focused on their first ball contact, they were able to control the game," Garner said. "Ultimately the pair was able to overcome the great offense from Santa Monica and play scrappy, adding in some option plays to seal the deal."
3s pair Carolina Koceman and Charlotte Wilson similarly won a gritty three-setter, taking back momentum after a 21-12, 15-21 start to win the third 15-10.
Celia Espinoza and Carly Hanna continued the trend, losing the first set 18-21 before staying alive with a wild 25-23 victory in set two. They kept that energy in set three, holding it together for a 15-12 win and giving SBCC 4 out of 4 wins.
Jillian Zimmerman and Vanessa Cabeza lost a close three-setter, finishing off a string of tight matches against Santa Monica. They lost the first set before a strong 21-12 second set, but ultimately lost the third. The loss turned into a positive, though, as the competitive experience benefited the pair later in the day.
Against Bakerfield, Medina/Rossi made it a perfect 10-0 start to their year. After another two-set win, only 1 opponent has even made the duo play a third set this season.
Zevenbergen/Tillet played their second extremely close match of the day, losing 20-22, 21-18, 13-15.
In the 3s, Koceman/Wilson lost in two close sets, as well, 17-21, 19-21.
No need to panic, as the Bend, Oregon pair of Espinoza/Hanna continued their solid play. They won steadily, 21-11, 21-15.
"Celia and Carly at the 4s really adjusted well from their first match to their second match, cruising through and playing great beach volleyball," Garner said proudly. "Carly had a couple great blocks and Celia had multiple amazing digs. The two really stepped up their game today and it was great to see the mid-game adjustments happening."
The match was already sealed prior to the 2s and 3s defeats as 5s team Zimmerman/Cabeza had already won 21-18, 21-15. Thus, every Vaqueros team had at least 1 win on the day.
"Our 5s Jill and Vanessa played great against Bakersfield communicating well. Their chemistry together as a pair is undeniable," Garner said. "Their communication to each other on offense is what helps them win games.
"We look forward to another great week this Friday in conference."
The Vaqueros are back at East Beach next Friday, hosting Cuesta and Glendale for another pair of conference matches beginning at 10:00 AM.
Match 1 vs. Santa Monica (4-1 W):
1s: Olivia Medina/Ashley Rossi (SBCC) def. SM 21-7, 21-13
2s: Alexis Zevenbergen/Nevaeh Tillet (SBCC) def. SM 21-17, 13-21, 20-18
3s: Carolina Koceman/Charlotte Wilson (SBCC) def. SM 21-12, 15-21, 15-10
4s: Celia Espinoza/Carly Hanna (SBCC) def. SM 18-21, 25-23, 15-12
5s: SM def. Jillian Zimmerman/Vanessa Cabeza (SBCC) 16-21, 21-12, 11-15
Match 2 vs. Bakersfield (3-2 W):
1s: Olivia Medina/Ashley Rossi (SBCC) def. BC 21-7, 21-10
2s: BC def. Alexis Zevenbergen/Nevaeh Tillet (SBCC) 20-22, 21-18, 13-15
3s: BC def. Carolina Koceman/Charlotte Wilson (SBCC) 17-21, 19-21
4s: Celia Espinoza/Carly Hanna (SBCC) def. BC 21-11, 21-15
5s: Jillian Zimmerman/Vanessa Cabeza def. BC 21-18, 21-15
