WEST VALLEY – The SBCC beach volleyball pair of sophomore Emma Crabbe and freshman Olivia Medina finished atop its group in the opening round of the CCCAA Pairs State Championship at West Valley before falling in a tough, three-set round of 16 matchup to Ventura's Autumn Rojelio Moreno and Kayla Murdoch, 18-21, 21-11, 15-8.
CCCAA State Pairs Championships Results
Two weeks after sweeping four straight opponents to claim the WSC Pairs Championship, the talented Vaquero duo came out strong in its opening group stage match, winning the first set against San Diego Mesa's Victoria Goff and Maddie Harris 21-13. However, Goff and Harris rebounded to win the next two sets, 21-16, 15-12.
With no room for error, Crabbe and Medina flew through their next two matches, beating Moorpark's Larissa Dakoske and Hailey Walton, 21-13, 21-12 and West Valley's Sydney Rogers and Devin Derecho, 21-16, 21-12 to advance to the knockout stage.
In the round of 16, Crabbe and Medina faced a very familiar set of opponents in Ventura's Moreno and Murdoch, a pair which the Vaquero duo had beaten three times in five tries during the season. That included the 26-24, 21-14 victory in the WSC Pairs Championship match.
This time around, the Pirates would tie the season series at 3-3, overcoming a 21-18 opening-set loss by winning the next two, 21-11, 15-8, to move on to the Elite Eight. Crabbe's hugely successful run in pairs competition saw her win two conference championships and a state title in two years as a Vaquero.
GROUP STAGE (Pool 5)
Crabbe/Medina lose to Goff/Harris (MESA), 13-21, 21-16, 15-12
Crabbe/Medina def. Dakoske/Walton (MOO), 21-13, 21-12
Crabbe/Medina def. Rogers/Derecho (WVC), 21-16, 21-12
ROUND OF 16
Crabbe/Medina lose to Moreno/Murdoch (VEN), 18-21, 21-11, 15-8
