Coach Kat Niksto talking strategy to her Vaqueros, who went on to secure a 3-0 victory over Santa Monica College.
Photo credit: Carolina Koceman
Posted: Sep 27, 2024
In a solid match from start to finish, the #16 ranked Vaqueros defeated the #23 ranked Corsairs of Santa Monica in a 3-0 sweep. The set scores were 25-20, 25-17, 25-19.
Coach Niksto said of the performance, "I have been looking for a clean sweep for a while now, I knew this team had it in them. There is so much talent top to bottom, but we are still young and looking to figure out how to play our best through a full match consistently. I thought tonight was a big step forward for that goal."
Leading the charge were the familiar faces of freshmen Kaylin Cooney (10 kills) and Valeria Bellodas (17 digs, 5 aces). The team was on fire from the service line with a season high 14 aces. The setting duties were shared by Natalie Lercari-Sullivan and Brielle Smith who finished the night with 14 and 13 assists respectively. Defensively, middle blocker Bella Nassiri had a shut down night at the net, leading the team in blocks with 5.
Up next, the Vaqueros will begin conference play, at home this Wednesday vs the currently undefeated, #14 ranked, LA Mission.
