COSTA MESA, CA – The SBCC women's volleyball team's valiant run to the SoCal Regional Finals went all the way down to the end of the fifth set, but the Vaqueros fell just short at Orange Coast, 26-28, 26-24, 25-20, 18-25, 15-13.
"I am so proud of everything this team has accomplished, not only all season long, but especially in the playoffs," head coach Kat Niksto said. "We had upset wins over several top teams in the state and battled in our final match down to the last point."
It was an incredibly close match which saw the Vaqueros equal the state's No. 5 ranked team 110-110 in total points. Sophomore opposite Caroline McCarty led the team in kills one more time with 19 (.283) to go with seven digs, three blocks and a pair of aces. Middle Karoline Ruiz was the other Vaquero in double-figures with 12 kills and five blocks.
The trio of libero Jacelin McKie (14 digs) and defensive specialists Celia Espinoza (13) and Gabby Russell (11) were all over the court. Setter Emma Crabbe directed the offense to the tune of 45 assists, 10 more than in any other match this year. She also had a match-high four aces.
The Vaqueros (16-11) battled their way back from a 24-19 deficit in the first set, surviving five straight set points before eventually winning it 28-26. SBCC had a chance to win set two leading 24-22, but OCC returned the favor scoring the final four points to tie it at 1-1.
After trading the next two sets by wide margins, the fifth and final game would yield five lead changes. Orange Coast broke an 11-11 tie with two straight kills by Brisa Zapata Reaves and would hold on to claim the hard-fought victory.
"It was one of the toughest losses I have been a part of, because the team played well enough to win," Niksto continued. "Saying goodbye to this group of sophomores is extremely difficult. At the end of the day, I always tell the team before games, walk away knowing you left it all on the court, make the other team earn it, and I can confidently say – we did that."
