Vaqueros blank Victor Valley 5-0 for first home victory

Madie Meyer and Michelle Orgell staged a stirring comeback from 14-10 down to win the third set on Friday at East Beach and help SBCC record its first home win by a 5-0 score over Victor Valley. It was also the first shutout for the Vaqueros' first-year beach volleyball squad.

On Friday morning, Moorpark beat the Vaqueros for the second time this year, 4-1. Santa Barbara is 2-9 overall and 2-5 in the WSC while the Raiders improved to 4-4 and 2-1.

Meyer and Orgell split the first two sets in the No. 3 match vs. Victor Valley, winning 21-16 and losing 21-15. They were down in the third set 10-14, then reeled off six straight points for the 16-14 victory with some long, intense rallies

Jacque Ortegon/Emma Esparza (21-9, 21-14) and Grace Trocki/McKenzie Garrison (21-11, 21-12) posted decisive straight-set wins in the No. 1 and 2 matches in their final home match of the season.

"Victor Valley is a team that plays and practices in the windy high desert," noted SBCC coach Samantha Calisto. "We were able to learn from our previous match with them (a 4-1 victory). We improved our consistency, implemented our game plans and played great offensively and defensively."

Two weeks ago, the Vaqueros lost 5-0 to Moorpark.

"We weren't that competitive the first time we played them but we really turned it around at the 1s and 2s, beating what I think is one of the best #2 teams I've seen," said Calisto. "Grace and McKenzie made them earn every point with a very impressive defensive effort. Trocki was nearly unstoppable at the net with four blocks."

Trocki/Garrison got the Vaqueros' point against the Raiders, knocking off Whitney Guthrie/Sydney Means 21-19, 20-22, 15-8.

"The wind became a little bit of factor for our 3s, 4s and 5s, who have little to no experience in that sort of environment," Calisto noted.

The Vaqueros will play Ventura and Santa Monica next Friday at Santa Monica.

Moorpark 4, SBCC 1
1. Kiahna Franco/Alexis Wolf (MC) def. Jacque Ortegon/Emma Esparza 21-18, 21-19
2. Grace Trocki/McKenzie Garrison (SBCC) def. Whitney Guthrie/Sydney Means 21-19, 20-22, 15-8
3. Jessica Grogg/Sydney Long (MC) def. Madie Meyer/Michelle Orgel 21-3, 21-16
4. Amanda Roman/Megan Stevens (MC) def. Lily Eaves/Emma Taccone 21-5, 21-10
5. Cami Buener/Elisa Beauvoir (MC) def. Annie Rodgers/Lea Bueker 21-11, 21-5

SBCC 5, Victor Valley 0
1. Jacque Ortegon/Emma Esparza (SBCC) def. Rachel Firm/Mary Flores 21-9, 21-14
2. Grace Trocki/McKenzie Garrison (SBCC) def. Alexxis Holburt/Krystal Shurtliff 21-11, 21-12
3. Madie Meyer/Michelle Orgel (SBCC) def. Alex Bentley/Ari Ruiz 21-16, 15-21, 16-14
4. Annie Rodgers/Lily Eaves (SBCC) def. Isabella Ayala/Lauren Archer 21-6, 21-9
5. Lea Bueker/Emma Taccone (SBCC) won by default