The VC beach volleyball team is headed back to the state tournament. The 2023 state runners up posted a pair of victories Tuesday in the 3C2A Southern California Regionals to qualify for the final day of the team season next week. The No. 2-seeded Pirates beat No. 10 Rio Hondo 4-1 before winning the first three matches in a 3-2 defeat of No. 7 San Diego Miramar. VC's 5's, Skylar Rutherford and Liz Schalde, their 4's, Gracie Piro and Gabby Raines, and the 1's, Autumn Rojelio and Bryce Swain, all won a pair of matches on the day.
The Pirates fell behind early, dropping the first sets in the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 courts. Rojelio and Swain go things rolling for VC, however, as they recorded the first point of the day with a 21-8, 21-6 runaway on Court 1 while Piro and Raines won their second set to force a winner-take-all third. Schalde and Rutherford put the Pirates ahead 2-0 with a 21-18, 21-13 win in the no. 5 match before the Roadrunners got on the board, defeating Alba Romanos Gracia and Kylie Ibbotson in a close decision, 21-18, 21-18 at No. 2. Makena Schaumloeffel and Lily Hazzard forced a third set on Court 3 before Piro and Swain completed their comeback to seal the Ventura win, 19-21, 21-10, 15-4 at No. 4. Schaumloeffel and Hazzard made it 4-1 with their 14-21, 23-21, 15-12 triumph at No. 3.
BVB��: Piro and Raines clinch the match for @VCVolleyball with a 3-set win on 4. Hazzard & Schaumloeffel force a 3rd set on 3 vs. @RHCathletics. pic.twitter.com/mfrmR3tSvY
— VCPirateAthletics (@VCAthletics) April 30, 2024
In the middle match of the day, Miramar defeated Rio Hondo 3-2 to set up the finale between the Pirates and the Jets with a berth to the state tournament on the line.
In the afternoon match, Ventura took the early edge by capturing the first sets on Courts 5, 1 and 4. Schalde and Rutherford made quick work of their opponents at No. 5, sweeping the Jets 21-12, 21-8 to give Ventura a 1-0 advantage. Then, in quick succession, Rojelio and Swain posted a 21-13, 21-10 sweep on Court 1 before Piro and Raines provided the clincher with a 21-14, 21-18 victory on Court 3. Ventura came up short on Courts 2 and 3, but it was all academic as Ventura earned a return trip to the state tournament.
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Ventura's top two duos of Rojelio and Swain, and Romanos Gracia and Ibbotson will compete in the Southern California Pairs Tournament on Friday and Saturday May 3 and 4 in Torrance at El Camino College. The Pirate team will play in the 3C2A State Tournament on Thursday May 9 at West Valley in Saratoga. The State Pairs Championships will follow on Friday and Saturday May 10 and 11, also at West Valley.
Ventura 2, Rio Hondo 3
1. Autumn Rojelio/Bryce Swain (VC) def. Jaida Zuniga/Jade Fuentes (RHC), 21-8, 21-6
2. Alba Romanos Gracia/Kylie Ibbotson (VC) lost to Maleia Petterez/Maria Bejines (RHC), 21-18, 21-18
3. Makena Schaumloeffel/Lily Hazzard (VC) def. Josie Navarro/Herlinda Casanova (RHC), 14-21, 23-21, 15-12
4. Gracie Piro/Gabby Raines (VC) def. Loren Forster/Carly Kejmar (RHC), 19-21, 21-10, 15-4
5. Skylar Rutherford/Liz Schalde (VC) lost to Isabel Villavicencio/Jennifer Reynoso (RHC), 21-18, 21-13
Order of Finish: 1, 5, 2, 4, 3
Ventura 3, San Diego Miramar 2
1. Autumn Rojelio/Bryce Swain (VC) def. Jaalyn Sotoa-Stuebing/Natalie Repetti (Mir), 21-13, 21-10
2. Alba Romanos Gracia/Kylie Ibbotson (VC) lost to Mia Fox/Zaria Henderson (Mir), 21-13, 21-15
3. Makena Schaumloeffel/Lily Hazzard (VC) lost to Samdrea Hsu/Julia Kallen (Mir), 21-14, 21-18
4. Gracie Piro/Gabby Raines (VC) def. Elif Solmaz/Makana Kowalski (Mir), 24-22, 21-18
5. Skylar Rutherford/Liz Schalde(VC) def. Roxy Ford/Sally Taylor (Mir), 21-12, 21-8
Order of Finish: 5, 1, 4, 2, 3